Like many people I know as I was growing up, I received many different kinds of messages from the world around me. As the writers pointed out, the messages sent often reflect back on the sender more than they do on the recipient. I do not think those messages had as powerful an effect on me as the authors suggest they should do.
The reason for this is because I chose to listen to the positive messages more than the negative ones. It was not just the messages I received but how I chose to receive them. When faced with one person telling me that I would never be able to go to college and another telling me I could, I listened to the one who encouraged me. My choice in what to listen to has worked for me so far. Writing this is evidence for that since here I am faced with this college essay question.
It was not a single person who contributed the most significantly to my self-concept but instead the conglomeration of positive thinkers surrounding me. Of course, you just cannot avoid some negative people.
Nonetheless, when faced with a choice I chose positive people and we supported each other. With most of my peer support coming from like minded positive people it made it easier to dismiss the negative. However, if I had to chose one single person though, it would have to be my mother. If I refined that further, it would be the evening she read me to sleep reading The Little Engine That Could.
Conclusion
I fell asleep listening to “I think I can - I think I can” The next morning I woke up believing I COULD! That thought shaped my whole day. It worked so well I just never stopped believing it.
