Oftentimes in the morning announcements (or just any time you see him) you can find our ROMS principal Rob Waller reminding us to build others and not tear them down. But what does that really mean and how can we use it? 

The Collins Dictionary gives a simple definition of building others up is “to help (someone) to feel stronger or more confident, especially when they have had a bad experience or have been ill.”

 ROMS eighth grader Genesis McCright said that she doesn’t believe that she has been ‘built up’ by anyone.  Many people have the common misconception that building someone up is difficult and takes a huge effort, but believe it or not it does not always have to be.

One of the simplest ways to build someone up is just a smile! Other ways are listening intently, sharing your knowledge, encouraging one another, offering support, and focusing on the positive. All of these simple interactions can make all the difference.

Occasionally you can find yourself wanting or even needing to be built up but no one has done it yet. That’s OK. You can, in fact, build yourself up.

ROMS eighth grader Layla Sanchez says that she has built herself up but she can’t quite think of how.

Which goes to show that it is ok to take the initiative and build up yourself. 

“I motivate myself to be out of bed every morning,” McCright said.

Even though it can be difficult to remember, YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IS IMPORTANT – which is why it’s so important to build others and yourself up .