Invitation # 3: Rational Affirmation
Ever thought about the role of cheering at an athletic event? We don’t watch in silence. But neither are our shouts of pleasure when our favorite team is winning like the sounds we might make if we sank a hole in one or won the sweepstakes. Cheering is not simply an expression of joy but also one of affirmation. Our intent is to encourage, support, and coax. When sports announcers speak of the “home field advantage,” they are acknowledging the power of affirmation as a tool for summoning courage.
“Rational affirmation” is an intentional oxymoron. Remember, evoking courage is about quieting the overactive, irrational anxiety in the protégé. Flattering the protégé with some schmaltzy, generalized “Attaboy!” ...
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