Another reason I'm a freak of nature is that I'm a morning person. I am most alert and productive when I first wake up, and it's when I like to exercise best. In college, I would actually wake up 2 hours early to get my reading for tech theatre done, which is almost as ridiculous as doing the reading for tech theatre in the first place. If you are wondering, the girl who gets a grade of 105 in Intro to Tech is not the most popular freshman on campus.
That being said, I do NOT enjoying the fire alarm going off in my building an hour and a half before I am supposed to be awake. Much as I love meeting my neighbors and their pets in their pajamas (the neighbors' pajamas, not the pets. Except that poodle in the satin teddy...), waiting for firemen at the crack of dawn is not my idea of a "good morning."
Today seemed to be a great day to test out my third strategy for the month of September: "Let it go." I find that as I have gotten older, my mind wanders towards negative thoughts, memories, and opinions of myself. I did a test today where I attempted to tally every negative thought I experienced. The total by 3:00 was 25, and I assure you it has only risen since I walked into the hallway of my community college. 25 bad thoughts! I didn't tally my good thoughts, but I am sure they were few and far between. Combatting these negative feelings and thoughts takes effort. In ASL/English Interpreting training, we learn that an important skill is positive self-talk. When those bad feelings start to creep into your work, it's important to bring out your mental Susy McSunshine to cheerlead you back towards positivity. I made a solid effort at it today, but I have to say, it is hard work. Your thoughts are often instinctive and out of your control, so knocking them down takes an acute awareness of your thoughts and the willingness to change them around.
Another mantra we have in interpreting is "I can't control another person's action, but I can control my reaction to it." Ever thought you had an idea that was just spectacular? Or an outfit that you thought you looked great in? Or a project you are really excited about? What happens when someone laughs at it, or doubts you, or suggests that you change into something with vertical stripes? That gut feeling, that tiny flame inside of you that inspired you to take action in the first place gets squished. It leaves you feeling disappointed, stupid, or pudgy.
That's why the hardest, and possibly most important strategy of September is "Let it go." Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and it wouldn't be fair to tell everyone to just keep their mouths shut. It's important to realize that it's just that. It's an opinion, not a fact. Let it go.
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid." ~Albert Einstein
photo by verydemotivational.com
No comments:
Post a Comment