As the night sky began to twinkle with stars, Inse couldn’t help but feel a little bit anxious about the first day of school. He tossed and turned in bed, the voice of insecurity whispering in his ear, “What if I’m not good enough? What if I can’t keep up with the other students?”
But just as Inse was about to give in to his worries, his big sister Curity appeared in the doorway. “Hey there, little bro,” she said with a smile. “I couldn’t help but notice you’re having a hard time sleeping. Want to talk about it?”
Inse hesitated for a moment before finally admitting, “I’m just really nervous about school tomorrow. What if I mess up?”
Curity took a seat on the edge of Inse’s bed and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I understand how you feel,” she said. “But let me tell you a little secret. Everyone feels nervous sometimes. Even I get nervous, and I’m older than you!”
Inse looked up at his sister in surprise. “Really?”
“Really,” Curity confirmed with a nod. “But I’ve learned that being nervous doesn’t mean you’re not good enough. It just means you care about doing well.”
Inse considered this for a moment before asking, “So how do I make sure I do well?”
Curity smiled. “Well, one thing that’s really important is having a growth mindset. That means instead of thinking, ‘I can’t do this,’ you think, ‘I can’t do this yet, but I can learn.’ You see, we’re all capable of learning and growing, no matter how challenging something might seem.”
Inse thought about this for a moment before asking, “But what if I still feel nervous?”
“That’s where the five transformations come in,” Curity explained. “First, you ignore the voice of insecurity in your head. Then, you use that voice as inspiration instead of letting it bring you down. Next, you focus on the voice of security, the part of you that knows you can do anything you set your mind to. And then you take action, using what you’ve learned to tackle any challenges that come your way. Finally, you make friends with both the voice of insecurity and the voice of security, because both are a part of who you are.”
Inse nodded slowly, taking in everything his sister had said. “I think I understand,” he said.
“Great!” Curity exclaimed. “Now, let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a great day!”
As Inse settled back into bed, he felt a little less nervous and a little more confident. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of his sister’s gentle breathing, feeling grateful for her wisdom and encouragement.
