And I haven't had the best attitude about doing a lot of the things I have to do. Frankly, I am overwhelmed. As we learned in my Clinical class, I probably have "role overload." Having more than 5 roles at a given time is a recipe for disaster, so says the research. And I am a graduate student at Temple U., I am the advocacy coordinator of the Social Work Alliance, the Communication coordinator for Beyond Our Borders, an intern/therapist at Youth Advocate Programs, in charge of the el. school tutoring program for The Joshua Group, a volunteer, a fiance, a sister, a daughter, a friend...you get the picture. I am overloaded, and yes, with many roles that I have chosen, and some that have just occurred by virtue of being.
I am feeling all of this, and I have noticed that I have a bad attitude more regularly than I would like to admit. When people ask me how I am doing, they have recently gotten a groan in return and some reference to my exhaustion. This is not good. Where is the joy that I am supposed to have?
I was pondering all this as I stirred my iced coffee today (Counterculture from Midtown Scholar, of course). As I added the cream, I remembered how a dear friend of mine (Malinda) loves to watch the cream swirl and dissolve into coffee. And it reminded me of simple joys in life that I need to pay more attention to. So, this is what I am going to work on- focusing on the simple joys. Things like:
-one of the students I tutor who is from China and loves to joke around and try to make us all laugh
-another student- a 1st grader who gave me a picture that she made in school
-the screams and laughter of children who are playing "duck, duck goose" and are all hyped up in anticipation of trick-or-treat night
-a coffee break with the art therapist at my internship, who I enjoy talking with
-another great conversation with a co-worker about being a passionate vegetarian
-a 5 minute phone conversation with Emily that sparked laughter
- the silliness and sweetness of Josh when I greeted him after class
-my 17-year old brother calling me and offering to pray for peace in Harrisburg during our phone conversation
-the gorgeous, warm, blue sky day and the multi-colored leaves
-the vibrant Allison Hill community that rallied to provide safety and a fun trick-or-treat night for the kids
This is something I need to practice daily- a gratitude towards God, the people in my life, and the simple joys that can be found if I just pay attention a bit.
