I just made these worry stones for my senior students, as a reminder to take a moment to believe in themselves as they venture out into the world of nursing. Each stone will be packaged in their own little bag and plan to hand them out in class tomorrow.

I love the word “believe.” I have it tattooed on my right foot. The B is in red ink and slightly slanted to resemble a heart. To me, the word has a number of meanings…believing in Santa, love, people, kindness, and myself. Of all those things believing in myself is the most difficult as I am more apt to give other people the benefit of the doubt than I am to give myself credit for a job well done. Maybe this goes back to my Puritan roots. I don’t really know but it was taught to me as a child with understanding the importance of setting goals. I strive to make goals and reach them. There is no choice but to meet the goals, so why do I deserve credit for something that is expected?

I Believe in

Things I believe in are the magic of the moonlight hitting a crystal bank of snow in the dead of winter, and Mother Nature as she pops her head out of the Spring earth in the form of a purple crocus blossom. Also, I believe in the pull of time as I watch the foaming waves crash against the rocks on the beach I went to as a child. I believe in all the little things that many people don’t even notice…the extravagant, tiny flowers budding on “weeds” in the yard, watching a row of ants marching to and from their hole-moving food. I believe in the joy on a child’s face as they catch snowflakes on their tongue. Each of these things brings me happiness.

What do you Believe in?

What do you believe in? It is important to have something to believe in. It gives us strength, stability, motivation, and a feeling of worth. Without belief what do we really have in life? I know that when I am having darker days of self-doubt or anxiety that it is often because I am not able to believe in anything at the moment. It helps me to write in a gratitude journal. Watch for a future post about journaling. A gratitude journal is easy to write. You simply take time at the end of the day to write down three things you are grateful for that day. Gratitude connects your mind to believe in something.

So, tomorrow when I give my students their worry stones. I will tell them to use the stones to help ground themselves in the months ahead as they prepare to take their nursing boards. Then when they begin their nursing jobs the stones can help them connect to their learning. The stones will remind them to believe in themselves because if they made it through nursing school (one of the most difficult journeys) they have the ability to overcome new hurdles as they begin their careers.

The little things

Waves, snowflakes, crocus, and ants