So here I am at the end of a very long day and I have a confession to make:
I didn't want to go to work today.
Oh come on, don't act so surprised. I'm sure you've felt like calling in sick lots of times.
The problem is I'm my own boss.
I tried to convince myself I was coming down with something terribly contagious and for the good of mankind I should stay home.
Maybe I was going to have car trouble. Or maybe the weather was dangerous to drive in.
Or
Or
Or nothing. I had no excuse for staying home except I just wanted a do-over for the day.
Have you ever been so cranky you just want to avoid everyone? I have and it only feels so good to feel so bad for so long. Eventually you have to get out of your fuzzy jammies and brave the world in spite of yourself.
I hate that part when I have a good grump going on.
So today I forced myself to be a grownup and went to work despite my druthers.
And you know what?
Today I got to talk to someone who felt really scared about life. I also got to meet a person who just needs some encouragement. And someone else who was having family trouble and needed to vent. Another client had some transitions coming and needed to think out loud.
I love that stuff! By the end of the evening I felt downright reinvigorated. Great even.
Something about reaching out to encourage others encourages me. It helps me remember that life isn't all about me. To switch my focus from me, mine, to you, yours reminds me that God created us to help each other out.
Maybe you can't help anyone out this year financially. Not many of us can. But each one of us can give a part of ourselves to someone else. It could be your time to help someone put up Christmas lights. You could help someone wrap gifts or share extra Christmas cookies (hint!).
Just the willingness to listen to someone means everything.
So I did end up going to work but it didn't seem like work once I got there.
And I think the person who was helped the most was me.
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I had one of these days just a few days ago. I said to myself, "self, you are a grown up, get over it." and my stupid self said back, "Leave me alone, I am rather enjoying this pity party. It will probably be the only party I get invited to all season. I was really miserable, and in jeopardy of making my whole staff feel the same way."
ReplyDeleteThen at work I found crabby moms being unreasonable wih their little children and I started to wonder what might be going on in those women's lives that was causing such harshness in them. My mood lifted substantially as I smiled and spoke quietly and gently to these kids whose moms were threatening to take Christmas away, or to be locked in their rooms as soon as they arrived home.
I'm amazed at how much better I felt when I put myself aside and looked through other's hurting eyes, and I actually did end up enjoying my shift. Thanks, Karen for putting my bad mood into perspective!