WRITINGS: WHAT I'VE LEARNED FROM THE DOCTOR.

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For those who know me personally, this title will not have you thinking of a pediatrician or a doc-in-the-box. You know what I am talking about just by those two syllables. I'm talking about the Doctor. 

It's no secret that my favorite show of all time is a little British lovely called Doctor Who. Since I discovered it my sophomore year of college, cuddled up in a tiny rectangular dorm room, I have spent every Spring looking forward to seeing my beloved Doctor once more. 

The idea for this post came a bit unconventionally. I have some pretty deep rooted fan-girl obsessions nestled in my heart, but I never intended to bring them here, mainly because I like to keep them safe from scrutiny. Yet, I was at work thinking about upcoming reviews and started thinking about how I would always like to be the person who builds people up rather than tear them down. And then Doctor Who somehow came into my mind and this small truth came leaking out:

Every person has the ability to be amazing.

Without divulging any spoilers, one of the most amazing attributes to the Doctor (the protagonist of the show) is that he always has the ability to make every single person believe that they can be amazing. Not okay, not enough, not average, not pretty good - but absolutely stunning. Sure, there may be 20 minutes to save the universe, but he will stop and look another character in the eye and say, "Be fantastic." And isn't this what most people long to hear? One thing that I keep in mind when I'm afraid is something that I learned simply from observing my reaction to other people. When I see people act nervous or seem to fade from doing the extraordinary thing that they are meant to do, I just want to grab them by the shoulders and scream "We're rooting for you! We want to see something fantastic!" Not because they need to be talented for me to enjoy them, but because I know it's there! People are rooting to see you be amazing, so just do it. In the show, the Doctor chooses different women to accompany him: shop girls, doctors, teachers, temps from temp agencies - average people. Alongside this, there are people who don't want to see the amazing things you can do. Why? Because people can be equally horrific. The show depicts this, too. But what keeps me returning to the show is not the monster-of-the-week episodes, not the time-travel, or the sci-fi aspects. It's because this is the heart of the show and it's something every person wants to hear. And that's the kind of person I want to be for others - someone who makes other people want to be amazing simply because that is who they are. No agenda, just the kind of person who believes in someone because they exist. Watch the first 2 1/2 minutes of this video to see what I mean.