Today, I learned a very large lesson from a very unlikely group of children...my patients! Every single one of them walked into group today with there head down and several of them even asked for time to journal (usually, the kids hate journaling more than what brought them to where I work). I knew something was out of balance, but I couldn't figure out just what. The thing about kids in the type of setting I work in is that they often don't speak up and "Ask" for something because of harsh life experiences. Today, I made each one of the children in my group write on a piece of paper compliments for one an another to help with their self-esteem. At the end of the group I asked who felt differently from when they entered the room, the entire group raised their hands...even the toughest of my teenaged boys! When I asked why they felt this way one of my little girls replied I needed to hear something good about myself. I used this opportunity to teach the importance of asking for what we need!
As humans, its natural to have weak moments we need help with and it is okay to ask! Asking for help with problems or for support can save or change our lives. Don't be afraid to ask for something because more than likely people are willing to give it just as the children in my group gave that little girl "good" things to hear about herself! Yes, it can be scary to show weakness and become vulnerable when we do ask for things, but doesn't the potential of getting what we need inspire you to take the risk? Challenge yourself to honestly go forward and the next time you feel like you need support, advice or help, ask for it!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Change
The word "Change" is something that for some is like music to their ears and yet for others it is one of the scariest terms imaginable. Change is legitimately a very loaded word that produces a multitude of emotions and reactions. Change can be brought on by us individually or unwillingly placed upon us. Lately, my life has had a lot of change so I thought it appropriate to pay tribute to what change can do and how even negative change can be turned into positive change.
Several weeks ago my life was changed by someone else. I didn't have a say in this change and as a matter a fact, it was horrible! The man I loved decided it was time for him to change and break up with me. Yes, in retrospect that change turned out to be wonderful (though I miss him). The change someone placed in my life allowed me to start making positive changes for me. The first change I made was this blog, it was something I had long been wanting to start and check off my bucket list....I wanted to change my thinking about life and how short it is. I believe there is no time like the present to do what you wish to accomplish! Secondly, I am starting to change what is making me unhappy in my life and that is my job! I actively started to job search and apply to jobs that I would consider my "dream job" for the simple realization I am deserving of a rewarding career as well as a positive work environment. This second change has the potential to lead to a multitude of changes in my near future, though some are scary I am very excited for this change. I am making positive changes out of a negative change that was placed in my life.
Changes can often be out of our control and I realise that. No one person says yes I would like to change my life and be diagnosed with a life threatening disease or be laid off from my job, but those changes do happen. In those instances we are faced with negative changes. I believe it is how we react to those changes that makes the difference in our lives. I am not denying we all aren't human and allowed a poor reaction. In fact I believe reactions are natural and normal but its after we cope with them and are able to react, that is important.
Change will walk into all of our lives in welcome and unwelcome ways. How will you react to the change in your life? Will change your life for the best or allow a negative change to break the wonderful person you are? It is my hope we can all use change to build ourselves up in this crazy adventure called life!
Several weeks ago my life was changed by someone else. I didn't have a say in this change and as a matter a fact, it was horrible! The man I loved decided it was time for him to change and break up with me. Yes, in retrospect that change turned out to be wonderful (though I miss him). The change someone placed in my life allowed me to start making positive changes for me. The first change I made was this blog, it was something I had long been wanting to start and check off my bucket list....I wanted to change my thinking about life and how short it is. I believe there is no time like the present to do what you wish to accomplish! Secondly, I am starting to change what is making me unhappy in my life and that is my job! I actively started to job search and apply to jobs that I would consider my "dream job" for the simple realization I am deserving of a rewarding career as well as a positive work environment. This second change has the potential to lead to a multitude of changes in my near future, though some are scary I am very excited for this change. I am making positive changes out of a negative change that was placed in my life.
Changes can often be out of our control and I realise that. No one person says yes I would like to change my life and be diagnosed with a life threatening disease or be laid off from my job, but those changes do happen. In those instances we are faced with negative changes. I believe it is how we react to those changes that makes the difference in our lives. I am not denying we all aren't human and allowed a poor reaction. In fact I believe reactions are natural and normal but its after we cope with them and are able to react, that is important.
Change will walk into all of our lives in welcome and unwelcome ways. How will you react to the change in your life? Will change your life for the best or allow a negative change to break the wonderful person you are? It is my hope we can all use change to build ourselves up in this crazy adventure called life!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Peace
We as a culture have one the most difficult times establishing inner peace. Modern society is full of complex problems, moral dilemmas, situational crisis and changed life pathways. Facing such unrest in our daily lives is taxing regardless of who you are. However, when the unrest carries into too many aspects of our lives we loose the peace within us that is our equilibrium for living. Losing the peace may seem like a far fetched concept, but its true. If we are at unrest or without peace about how we handled a situation, a relationship, our career or even our future plans we tend to go about methodically questioning everything. We start to ask, what if? Why didn't I do this verse that? What can I do to change it? Can I undo it?
Life gets hard when we start asking those questions! We can break ourselves down if we fixate on the things we question about our lives and the complex experiences that shape them. Everyday, I work with dozens of people whom do just that and now are their own worst critics. They lose peace and even worse than that they lose self-esteem, which I firmly believe is one of the essential building blocks of self. We as human beings are breakable! Be kind to yourself as well as the people around you!
Find peace! Yes, it is a challenge to all of us and I'm not down playing that in the least. It is time we live in the here and now...Be Present! We need to avoid being are own worst critic! A wonderful and inspiring quote I believe essential in finding peace is "Accept the things you can't change and change the things you can." If we all live our lives with that quote in mind peace would be plentiful within all of us. As you start or end your day today think about it for a brief minute...where do you stand with Peace?
Life gets hard when we start asking those questions! We can break ourselves down if we fixate on the things we question about our lives and the complex experiences that shape them. Everyday, I work with dozens of people whom do just that and now are their own worst critics. They lose peace and even worse than that they lose self-esteem, which I firmly believe is one of the essential building blocks of self. We as human beings are breakable! Be kind to yourself as well as the people around you!
Find peace! Yes, it is a challenge to all of us and I'm not down playing that in the least. It is time we live in the here and now...Be Present! We need to avoid being are own worst critic! A wonderful and inspiring quote I believe essential in finding peace is "Accept the things you can't change and change the things you can." If we all live our lives with that quote in mind peace would be plentiful within all of us. As you start or end your day today think about it for a brief minute...where do you stand with Peace?
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Life and Lyrics
Music is often an under appreciated art form in today's complex society. However, it is one of the truest forms of self-expression and for some our life can be found in lyrics. Sometimes we can't bring ourselves to say I am sorry or can't figure out how to tell someone we love them, but a well written song can say exactly that. Today, I had several songs I heard that I couldn't help but think define exactly where I am in my life right now. I found my life in lyrics! Yes, I am aware this isn't a profound concept, but sometimes it takes hearing a good song to realize what we are truly feeling about something we are experiencing...almost as if we need a context clue to identify our feelings.
My Life in Lyrics....
my feelings on love
my feelings about my amazing Phi Mu ladies
my feelings about what I hope is next
Let music inspire you to get in touch with your feelings, ambitions, and self! If it isn't music than let something else help you find the lyrics to your life!
My Life in Lyrics....
my feelings on love
my feelings about my amazing Phi Mu ladies
my feelings about what I hope is next
Let music inspire you to get in touch with your feelings, ambitions, and self! If it isn't music than let something else help you find the lyrics to your life!
Coffee Cups & Carolina Sunshine
Today, I couldn't help but be thankful for living below the Mason Dixon line and the beautiful Carolina sunshine that often finds us when we least expect it here. An early morning meeting allowed me to steal away a couple minutes enjoying my cup of coffee in that wonderful sunshine. My thoughts mostly rooted deep in work and my newest adventure of job searching made me really appreciate that simple moment I took for myself to enjoy the simple things. Those simple things like the Carolina sunshine and my cup of coffee are some of the most basic things, but yet bring me the most joy. It's amazing to think of the power of these simple things in our lives and how they affect our outlook. I'm not denying that I don't like nice things, but I am content without them. Material objects to a degree are only temporary, they may change how we feel for a week or a couple months even but they too lose their effect on how we feel. The simple things like taking the time to call a family member or making an older adult smile have effects that are unfading. These gestures and simple things add up not only to make our lives richer, but others as well.
Look for the simple things in life! The big the things are important, but you never know what little or simple thing may mean the most to another person!
Look for the simple things in life! The big the things are important, but you never know what little or simple thing may mean the most to another person!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Create
Everyday gives us an opportunity to create. Personally, I believe it is what we choose to create from those opportunities that defines us. Some people, whom I am very jealous of create beautiful master pieces of art that have the power to set the world on fire(metaphorically speaking...I have to clarify after working on the psychiatric unit). Others are responsible for creating opportunities for those less fortunate. However, the things we create daily don't always have to be so large.
Today, I was inspired to create more innovative ways to reach out to potential employers about what I do. I believe the "passion" I have for helping others is allowing me to create possibilities for myself to branch out and achieve the career I aspire to have.
What are you going to create with opportunities presented to you? The creation of something life changing maybe around the corner from each one of us. So dream big, take chances and seize even the smallest of life's opportunities!
Today, I was inspired to create more innovative ways to reach out to potential employers about what I do. I believe the "passion" I have for helping others is allowing me to create possibilities for myself to branch out and achieve the career I aspire to have.
What are you going to create with opportunities presented to you? The creation of something life changing maybe around the corner from each one of us. So dream big, take chances and seize even the smallest of life's opportunities!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Passion
Passion is defined by Webster and other dictionaries as a powerful emotion such as joy, love, anger or hatred. It took me loosing my passion for me to realize the passion and immense joy I have for the field of Recreational Therapy as well as helping others.
Passion is a life drive, I don't care what you do and if your passion is love or hatred. Passion is a motivating factor toward anything we do. Currently, passion is driving me forward to search for the joy I have in helping others as I begin the challenging search for a job that truly enriches others lives. I am passionate about what my field can do for others, but further more I have come to realize that I am passionate about not selling myself short. I deserve a career I enjoy and find rewarding. Having said that it...It is my personal mission to not waste my time being miserable and pour every drop of my energy into finding a new job.
Why does this matter?
It might not matter to you or anyone else, but passion should matter. If you loose your passion you've lost yourself. We all use passion to push ourselves towards becoming the people we aspire to be; no matter if your a college student studying for a defining test or a struggling parent who uses passion for their children drives them to push forward through two jobs. It is the passion that keeps us alive in our darkest hours!
Passion is a life drive, I don't care what you do and if your passion is love or hatred. Passion is a motivating factor toward anything we do. Currently, passion is driving me forward to search for the joy I have in helping others as I begin the challenging search for a job that truly enriches others lives. I am passionate about what my field can do for others, but further more I have come to realize that I am passionate about not selling myself short. I deserve a career I enjoy and find rewarding. Having said that it...It is my personal mission to not waste my time being miserable and pour every drop of my energy into finding a new job.
Why does this matter?
It might not matter to you or anyone else, but passion should matter. If you loose your passion you've lost yourself. We all use passion to push ourselves towards becoming the people we aspire to be; no matter if your a college student studying for a defining test or a struggling parent who uses passion for their children drives them to push forward through two jobs. It is the passion that keeps us alive in our darkest hours!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)