Saturday, June 4, 2011

I really do have one...

Paula asked me, "Do you really have an "I don't suck" file? That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

I thought to myself, "Yes, yes I do." 

Then I thought again - "I'll even take a picture of it!!"   


Voila!!!


I really don't - even if I sometimes think I do...
I've always kept notes that were particularly encouraging. But after I read This, I knew I had to have one of my own. AND I knew I had to call it my "I don't suck" file. I mentioned it on this post back in April. Now, I will admit that it took me a few days after I wrote the blog post to actually put the thought into motion. 

But I did - and, being easily amused, I have to say it's been fun. Even creating it was fun.


It's the perfect remedy for a rejection letter! Or just a bad case of 'Monday'

The contents MIGHT seem minor at the moment. The file doesn't include the cards I have between books on the book shelves. AND it doesn't count two e-mail programs worth of notes. 

Laptop e-mail. I have 3 new e-mails that I moved to my "I don't suck" folder.
 For as long as I can remember, I've kept folders in my e-mail programs that I wanted to keep. E-mails that have blessed me. I might delete them after the warm fuzzy has diminished but that's because the e-mail did its job. It told me I didn't suck.

Making an "I don't suck" file made me realize that I was already doing much the same thing under a different name. So, I went so far as to make a folder on my e-mail program. It'll save me ink and paper. But mostly - it's there for the times I need encouragement. 


NOW - the trick, I'm learning - is to go back through and actually READ the contents. 


There you go. 
I really do have such a file..
I can recommend it. 

I think I'll put stickers on mine.....



5 comments:

TobyBo said...

Wow.

Paula Vince said...

I love it! I may make one of my own as I've been feeling a bit sad lately.
Great idea.

Mother Mayhem said...

Hm... Really thinking I would benefit from one of these files...

40winkzzz said...

okay, so i haven't blogged in 9 mos and i barely read blogs anymore. but lately i've been perusing my google reader and picking a blog here and a blog there to catch up on, and today i picked yours.

and this was perfect.

because this summer i am putting myself through "i don't suck" bootcamp. only for me it's more like "i am good enough" bootcamp, but same basic idea. i am also referring to it as "mental rehab." this probably goes way deeper than what you are doing, as you say you generally like yourself and just need encouragement, whereas i am deeply steeped in self-loathing and need to train myself to think positively about myself.

i have seen this concept before, only it was referred to as a "happiness file." always thought about making one, but never have. it's time i did. i'll start with a computer file, as i, like you, save encouraging emails and comments. i often cut/paste the emails/comments into word docs, and i think i will keep my "file" as a wrod file rather than an email file. and then maybe my physical file for cards and notes and such (i keep those, too) will actually be a box- you know, like one of those shoebox-size photo box.

of course, being the compulsive tweaker/ can't-do-it-like-everyone-else person that i am, i will have to call mine something different. maybe my "i am not a vacuum cleaner" file. bahahahaha. (suck... vacuum cleaner... get it? :-P)

anyway- must be GOD led me here today. now to just follow through... (yes, i AM good enough and i DON'T suck and i do NOT have to remain a poor-at-follow-through person...) :-)

40winkzzz said...

ack. *wORd file. *photo boxES. :-P