Sandi L Boucher, Anishinaabe/Ojibwe from Seine River First Nation, explains why you should celebrate your own wins instead of waiting for others to notice. She shares a story about her father, contrasts self-celebration with seeking external validation, and offers a simple practice: high-five yourself in the mirror.
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Foreign. Hi, everybody, it's Sandy Boucher here once again. I'm Red Thunderbolt, woman of the Loon clan, a proud member of Seine River First Nation in Northern Ontario. And I'm here this week week to expand on personal power principle number 10. Now, once again, I have so many new people on my email list that you might be receiving these videos for the first time. So I just want to give you a little bit of background. I am Anishinaabe Quay. I am an Ojibwe woman, and I am focused and work in the area of Canadian reconciliation. There's two sides to that feather. All the work that non Indigenous people have to do and the empowerment and healing of Indigenous people. That's where these personal power principles come in. If you're Indigenous watching this, then you should know that these personal power principles are rooted in our Anishinaabe teachings. We have strong stories and customs that can help you to remember just how amazing you are. And if you're non Indigenous, well, maybe these principles will help you to change your opinion of Indigenous people, to realize how resilient and strong we are and what valuable allies we are. We have to move away from the stereotypes if we're going to change things. And these principles can help everyone. So they're a great place to start. So now, just to remind you what we're talking about, I shared a different principle every month this year. This is principle number 10. Celebrate every single success by yourself, for yourself. High five. The air scream with glee. You earn the applause. So learn to give it to yourself freely. Now, why would I encourage you to do such a thing? Well, for those of you who know me, you know that I had this amazing childhood. I was raised in a home with parents who adored me, and my dad was easily my biggest fan. If you had known me back then, you probably would have thought that I had incredible self confidence. But the reality is I didn't. I didn't believe in me. I believed in my dad, who happened to believe in me. He told me I could get straight A's, so I did. He told me I could walk on water, so I believed I could. But at the age of 17, my dad passed away. And suddenly that light went out. It's a scary path, a scary way to live. When you put your value in the hands of another. When you only feel good about yourself because someone else said you're good, that you only consider yourself valuable when someone else sees you that way. The best thing you can do is to realize you can see yourself that way. Go look in that mirror, tell yourself how absolutely amazing you are. And this week, instead of reaching out to tell everyone every single time you achieve something, race to the mirror and tell yourself, high five yourself. Tell yourself, way to go. Is about time you started being your own greatest cheerleader. Here it is, one more time so you can make sure to practice this principle. This week, celebrate every single success by yourself. For yourself. High five the air scream with glee. You earn the applause, so learn to give it to yourself freely. Until next week, my friend. I love you. Take care. And don't forget, if you ever have any questions, I am simply an email away. I love you. Bye bye.
