A few things that bring me joy and gratitude this morning: Christmas Tree at Sunrise.Vanilla Carmel coffee.Morning breathing exercise. Three new ornaments for my tree, made with love by my sister @judnickhalley, and the Russian Tea Cake Cookies sent by mom (all arrived in a box of thoughtful gifts last night).
Handmade Felt Ornaments (family tradition)
I wonāt lie. Iāve been on the āStruggle Busā since mid-October. Iām not discounting moments of joy and peace. I hold them close to my heart to keep me moving forward.
Warm Gifts from family
This has been a very tough year.
My husbandās work is in shutdown (unemployment) for the second time this year. 15 is struggling to keep up with school, participate in clubs, and (sigh) learning to drive. All with social distancing that means only video chats with friends.
My job in Home Health Care has been extremely stressful due to COVID regulations and trying to get 60+ Caregivers on-board with weekly testing (semi-successful) and wearing PPE (slightly more successful). Then add in those who get sick (COVID or just the common cold, stomach bug), those that have small children and are struggling with childcare, school-age children stuck in home learning (because God-forbid ALL towns run on the same plan or schedule), and just everyday catastrophe: car accidents, a slip & fall, a health concern that takes a bad turnā¦ you get the picture.
Then there are our vulnerable clients, constantly worried whether having the help they need is going to cause their demise! Itās not a small concern, for most of our clients, their contact with the outside world comes in the form of our non-medical home caregivers, nurses,and physical therapists. Any number of persons or companies they rely on for their quality of life.
This is STRESSFUL.
I want to do better at LETTING GO of things I canāt control. I am having a hard time with this concept, which feels like itās in direct conflict with the seriousness of my job.
If you have a stressful job and have been successful at doing your daily best and letting the rest go,I desperately need to HEAR from YOU!!!
I can never be reminded too often to keep being my own person in-spite of all the noise around me.
Sticking to my own path, making up my own mind, standing strong on my values and beliefs is key to being the woman, wife, mother, friend, and contributor in the world that is meaningful to me.
This popped up in my WORDPRESS feed at the right time: I’m coming up on my 1-year anniversary for my Blog and considering if it’s serving a purpose, for others, for me.
WHY DO I BLOG? š¤
I started my blog as a companion to the Facebook Page I was trying to grow into a community of support for people searching for purpose, interested in growing, and wanting to set and accomplish goals.
Admittedly, the first month I thought Iād lost my mind. Thinking I could set up and contribute regularly to a webpage was overwhelming. Though Iād read Blog posts before and enjoyed them, the thought of having a Blog of my own was (and still is) terrifying. Iām great one-to-one, but putting my self āout thereā into the world still scares me.
Friends (most of whom donāt even follow my page!) kept encouraging me that I had something worth sharing.
WHAT ARE THE REWARDS?
The biggest reward for me is starring down my fear and putting myself out “there”, wherever that is.
I have a few followers and have received very little feedback, so that side has not yet felt like a reward. However, each time I share some aspect of myself or something that interests meā¦ my fear lessens and Iām more empowered.
The reward is personal: recognizing my voice and accepting that my voice matters, if only to me.
Thanks, Dr. Perry, for your Blog post. This actually made me feel MORE committed to my Blog. I was considering giving it up, but now I see it is fulfilling a purpose: Itās ok if the purpose is me!
Empowerment.Vitality.Evolution. 