Hello!

I am finishing up my first week at Music Therapy Connections, and I am so happy to be here. Some of you may have read my first blog post a month or two ago where I introduced myself as the new MTC intern, and I am thrilled to have finally started this week!

This week has proven to be challenging, yet rewarding. I attended quite a bit of training, but also had the opportunity to observe, and even co-lead a few sessions.

Like a lot of people, I have a problem with getting in my own head. Every day I wear a bracelet with a quote from Winnie the Pooh on it that says, “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

This is something I tell myself whenever I face a new or particularly challenging situation. I think that everyone could benefit from hearing this quote from time to time.

You’re braver than you believe.

Whether you know it or not, you are brave. No matter what your occupation or status, it takes bravery to simply be yourself. Sometimes things push you out of your comfort zone, and it takes bravery to accept these challenges.

During this first week at MTC, I was given the opportunity to lead a few songs and co-lead a session. In one hour-long session, I had never met the client before. If I was asked a month ago to do this, with little preparation time, I am unsure what the outcome would have been. It took bravery for me to do so this week, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to push myself this way. I was able to step out of my comfort zone and even be successful.

If you are in a similar situation and feeling nervous about any new endeavor in your life, remember that you are braver than you believe.

You’re stronger than you seem.

Strength doesn’t have to be in muscle. Strength can be seen in many forms such as passion, grit, and determination.

I found strength in myself this week through perseverance. I made mistakes this week. It’s part of learning. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s important to remember that most mistakes don’t matter in the grand scheme of things, it’s what you do afterwards that matters.

Everyone encounters situations where they do not feel strong enough, but remember that your strengths may look different than others and may change from situation to situation. Keep using your own strength, and remember that you are stronger than you seem.

You’re smarter than think.

This is something I have to tell myself constantly. A lot of people have self-doubt, especially in new situations, unfamiliar places, or when meeting new people. In these cases, we may feel like we have forgotten everything we have been taught, or doubt that we ever knew anything in the first place. At these times we need to remember that we actually do know some stuff, and even if we don’t know it all, there are people around us to help.

I was terrified that I wasn’t going to remember everything from my classes when starting internship (let’s be honest, it’s extremely unlikely to remember everything anyways), but I proved to myself this week that I remember and know a lot more than I think I do. Don’t let your own self-doubt get in the way, and remember that you are smarter than you think.

Do you have a favorite quote that you use in your everyday life?

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

Emma Kovachevich