Don't Block Your Blessings

It's Sunday again...the day I allot to a little reflection time.

On a daily basis I work with a woman who has a lot going on in terms of stress. Her heart is in the right place but life seems to keep knocking her down. She is caught up in a system that has lead her through cyclical stress. I would be completely discrediting myself, my job and other in the helping field if I said that the system hasn't given her anything. I realize that the system has finally come to the point of putting a few people in her life who really care about her and are there to actually help... already some changes have been made.

Just this past week I came to realize that I was dreading her coming into my office. I noticed that she was so miserable that she was draining my energy. I'm in a helping profession and the burn-out rate is quick...but this woman is burning me out almost immediately. I finally had to say "look put the goddamn stress aside and do something fun!" No noo I didn't actually say that, but I did become frustrated with her because she was sitting around moping, when I was about to skip off to a fun workshop that my job was offering for free. All I could think was that she was sitting there sulking yet again but not taking advantage of the free class that I knew she needed. More importantly I thought she just needed to take a break from her miserableness and do something to benefit herself. The thing that is most frustrating in working with her is that she does not see the good in her situation AT ALL. In just six months we had done so much, made so much progression and yet she wasn't seeing this.

Unfortunately I don't have some cute ending to the story with her. She is still going to carry on miserably until some miracle occurs...unless I can convince her otherwise. But I did learn two things.
1. Sometimes you just gotta be selfish and do you.
I mean sometimes you gotta put your stress aside and enjoy yourself. Forget about everyone else and invest sometime into your self. it may seem selfish, but it actually isn't. When it comes to taking care of yourself, you have to make the first move.
2. Don't block your blessings.
Remember not to block your blessings. Look for the good in your situation, even if it's small. Any amount of progress, is progress nonetheless. Also if you are spending your time complaining to a friend...eventually they are going to get tired of hearing it. My solution: realize your emotion and let it out so that you can get rid of it or deal with it and move on. Live your life and realize that there will always be bumps along the way. The journey doesn't end at that bump, eventually you get over it and onto the next.