A Career Move That Makes Me Teary

This past month, three women told me about a career move that left me feeling emotional…

Hanging in each of their offices is their childhood photo. The reason behind this adorable decision? Every time they look up to see their younger selves in all their girlhood glory — complete with rosy cheeks, cheese-y grins and sparkling eyes — they remember a piece of themselves that deserves the very best. Grace during times of failure. Patience in moments of frustration. The kindest encouragement. And then — here’s my favorite part — they try to treat their current selves with all that tender love.

Social strategist Peyton Dix (above) hung a baby photo of herself above her desk. “I’m often a critic and a b*tch to myself,” she told Elle. “I have to remind myself, ‘Oh, there’s a little girl that’s always learning and exploring and trying her best, and, like, be f*cking nice to her.’

When I asked Peyton how she came up with the idea, her response surprised me: “I saw a meme format on Twitter that shared various funny photos, and said, ‘When you’re being mean to me, this is who you are being mean to.’ At first, I laughed, but then I took it seriously, wrote the quote on a sticky note, and placed it below my own photo.”

Illustrator Jordan Sondler says displaying a photo of her preteen self in her apartment (above) keeps her career mission front of mind. “My biggest dream is to make art and work to help scared and depressed kids like I once was,” she told me.

Lastly, Gabriella Llewellyn, a writer and mother of three, says the collage of childhood photos she displays reminds her why she carves out time for hobbies: they bring her joy. “The reason I sew and read and garden isn’t because I’m trying to be the world’s best sewer or read 45 books in a year. I do these things to keep my inner child alive and happy. I do these things to make her proud.”

After talking to the three women, I decided to try the approach myself, and I made this photo my phone’s screensaver:

Little me with my grandpa and brother.

For the first couple days, whenever I glanced at my phone — and I hate to admit this — the feeling that flooded my mind was embarrassment. What type of person puts their own photo as their screensaver? I’d think. This should be a photo of my kids, not me.

But as time passed, when I’d glance down at my phone and see tiny Jannelle, decked out in that red beret and pleated skirt (slay), I’d smile. The other day, I even caught myself imagining how I must have felt in that moment: loved and safe. She deserves to feel loved and safe, I thought. And then it happened, so naturally. My follow-up thought was, I still deserve to feel loved and safe. A statement that should be such a given. But one, I realized, that I sometimes need help remembering. That’s why I’ve decided to keep my childhood photo front and center.

Do you display any of your childhood photos? Leslie Knope does, too! And what about yourself do you take pride in?

P.S. An anxiety trick, and what are your three core values?