Break’s over
Lately I’ve been feeling stressed. Can you relate?
I realized some time ago that I’m trying to juggle four flaming torches right now–my counseling business, a professional internship, continuing education work, and all the pressures (and joys) of home, relationship, and puppy dogs.
So to be honest, I’ve been throwing a little pity party for myself over the past couple of days. It hasn’t been pretty. Poor me, I sigh. (Or to quote Philip Seymour Hoffman’s character in the movie Flawless, “Poor me, poor me, pour me another, honey.”)
But I do try to practice what I preach, so I’ve been kicking myself back into gear, reminding myself of a few things, namely:
1) I am richly blessed, and rich period, particularly in comparison to the overwhelming majority of human beings on the planet, right now and throughout the ages.
2) There are many good and wonderful things to be done in my life right now. The internship can be intense, but it is a huge opportunity to learn and grow as a professional. The reading and research and writing of my school work is exhausting, but also exhilirating. And my counseling practice is a deeply satisfying labor of love.
3) If I’m stressed about all the work I have to do, that only means I’m tuning out to the stress of unemployment so many people feel right now. Therapists are trained not to use “should statements,” but here goes: I should not complain about work when so many people can’t find it.
4) The most important reason to get over it: I chose this life. I put myself in this position, and for many good reasons. Just because I’m in the business of counseling and personal growth, I’m not immune to the occasional pity party or victim stance. But neither am I excused from getting over it and remembering that the overwhelming majority of my life was chosen–chosen by me.
All of this reminded me of a great column published in the New York Times last year, written by Maureen Dowd. This was back in September, when Barack Obama’s candidacy looked like it was in trouble and the Democrats were panicking. She asked TV writer Aaron Sorkin to guest-write her column, and he wrote a fictional scene in which Barack Obama goes to New Hampshire to visit former “The West Wing” president Jed Bartlet. It’s well worth a read, but the upshot is this: after giving Obama a pep talk, Bartlet flatly tells him to get back to work and, well, stop whining. He says this simply, and effectively, with two words:
“Break’s over.”
So…back to work for me!
