I Am Just A….

How often do you say…?

I am just a pediatrician

I am just a psychiatrist.

I am just a section chief.

We aren’t “just” anything.

Just is a dangerous usually unhelpful word.

It is a minimizing word.

It is a separating word.

It is a judgmental word.

It is a compare and despair word.

Just generally makes you feel smaller and less than.

Just makes us not stand up as proud as we should be of our accomplishments and achievements.

“Just” undervalues all the hard work it took to get wherever you are.

And all the important work that you do each day.

Why minimize yourself?

Why not own and celebrate all that you are, all that you do,

and the effort, commitment, courage, bravery, and energy it took to get there.

None of you are just anything.

Why not drop the just?

Be a pediatrician, a section chief, a mom, and all the other amazing things that you are.