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TAKE TWO! the POWER of positive self-talk
HAVE YOU EVER FELT INSECURE?
Beat yourself up over a mistake that was made? Had thoughts that you are not good enough or that you are being judged? You’re not alone … for much of my life, I felt like I was the only one that these insecurities impacted. When I began teaching middle and high school chorus this year, I realized that these self-doubts and “lies” are frequently occurring, often crippling, and span across the spectrum of ages.
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JUNE 2019
At the beginning of the school year, I needed to hear each individual voice of the 18 beautiful students that I was going to be working with. I immediately saw a trend: “I am not good enough.” As soon I asked a student to sing aloud by themselves in front of their peers, they froze with fear, apologized for their singing before they even started, expressed multiple negative comments about themselves or their voices, and hesitated to the point that they could not phonate the first note. This crippling fear and self-doubt went well beyond the music classroom. Every day at the school, I witnessed students being impacted by their lies—making themselves small as to not attract attention from others, talking negatively about themselves and their abilities both in and out of school, walking in the hall without making eye contact with anyone. I knew within the first week that my job was much bigger than simply teaching music. I felt moved to create and incorporate tools that would lift students up and, in the process, allow them to lift up others. What has evolved for our chorus class is an environment of support, positive self-talk, confidence, and grace. And this culture has spread well beyond our four walls. I hear our students spreading our daily practices to other students, and it makes my heart smile! Of the many tools we utilize on a daily basis, “Take Two” has been the most viral and impactful.
w OMAN.COM
L A K ENORMAN
In our little chorus community, we have incorporated the phrase “Take Two” paired with an arm signal mimicking a clapperboard. This phrase started when students were preparing for auditions for our fall musical. While performing their song in front of their peers for practice, if a mistake was made they often could not regroup and recover, so they felt even more anxious than they originally were. “Take Two” became the phrase I would say to them every time this occurred. It gave them the ability to give themselves grace and have a fresh start, erasing the “first take.” Before I knew it, students were “take two-ing” themselves and each other. Practicing “Take Two” every day has muted the fear of judgement and strengthened our empathy and grace for each other. I have witnessed this simple tool transform my students into confident humans who not only give grace to each other but also to themselves. So, the next time you make a mistake or notice your lies creeping in, give grace to yourself and others with a big fat “TAKE TAKE TWO! TWO!” w Kim Branum is the executive director of Charters for Charity aboard the Carolina Grace. This luxury yacht hosts charities and charters alike. Also a music instructor and health and fitness writer/coach, Kim can be reached at 704.778.6885 or www.thegracewithin.co.
WRITER KIM BRANUM