Perspective
Perspective
For me, this past Labor Day was a day full of joy, tears, laughter and change. It was a day like many of the ones that I counsel, because that is exactly what I did, I counseled. I must tell you I loved it, every minute was wonderful. I was asked by several people, prior to working, “You have to work on Labor Day?” I simply replied, “No, I get to work on Labor Day.” I was asked so many times that I was compelled to write a small comment about it on Facebook. In the post I spoke about how a person’s perspective changes his/her attitude and mood, which inevitably changes his/her day.
What we think, feel, and do all affect one another. I am a firm believer that we are wholistic beings. If my thoughts are negative I will develop bad feelings and act in an unproductive manner. On the same note, if I feel terrible my thoughts will follow which affects my actions.
If I had awakened this past Labor Day with a sour attitude and thinking that I had to work on a day when everyone else was off, you can rest assure I would not have found my day to be so wonderful. Granted, it helped that I absolutely love counseling, which is why I urge my clients, friends, and family to go into a career that they truly enjoy. No amount of money can counteract the emotional toll it takes to work at a job that you hate.
Albeit, there are times when someone will have a job that is a stepping-stone to the career that is desired. Even in that situation there is a positive perspective to be embraced. The mere fact that one is able to have a job, and earn money to get the career wanted is a means for celebration. After writing my Facebook post I began to scrolling through some older posts. Before I knew it I had gone back several years and low-and-behold I discovered a post I had written while working as a waitress and saving up for grad school. Funny enough, it was written on Labor Day. The comment read “Off to work (waitressing) so that I can earn money for school so that one day I can have a ‘big girl’ job and have Labor Day off like all the other grown-ups.” Believe me when I tell you that I laughed for quite some time over this remark. I could not have predicted that 5 years later I would read that note and have an entirely different perspective and attitude.
If you’re struggling to get through the day be mindful on what you are thinking, what emotions are being experienced, and what your actions are geared towards throughout the day. Be aware of your perspective and begin to work towards creating a positive outlook…. it sure makes life a lot better.
~Robin
