It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
You’re important. Very important. You’ve worked hard to get to where you are and people should respect you for what you do. They should seek you out for your knowledge and rely on you for your sage advice. You’ve earned a right to be here and you’re entitled to respect, admiration and deference by those that work with you and for you. You know more than the average bear and this isn’t your first trip around the block.
Sound like someone you know?
Like many of you I have those days when I’m staring at my screen, replying to an email and saying “Really? Do you NOT get it? Why is this so hard?” in reply to any number of things. The thoughts are racing through my head about how important I am, how this person is wasting my time and how I have much better things to do. I hold back what I really want to say and try and let my words on paper sound less like what is running through my head. But recently it always that seems when I get in one of these modes (at home at least) along comes Gracie (the youngest of our cats) and she’s exploring, chasing, tackling or just experiencing life as she knows it without a care in the world about how important or unimportant she is. She’ll find a piece of paper to start chewing on, an unexplored area of the office to further investigate, or a comfortable spot on a shelf to take a mid-day nap in.
Whether stuck in traffic on the way to work, late for an appointment, or dealing with the seemingly never-ending stream of people who “just don’t get it” we all have days when we lose focus on what we’re all about, what we’re all doing, and how unimportant these things are. We forget that we are saving lives, creating everlasting bonds and fulfilling emptiness. So when you’re feeling in one of those modes, just remember rule #6…stop taking yourself so seriously. You are not entitled to anything. You are not owed anything. So give up your demands, live in the moment and genuinely appreciate the next person you talk to. Give them your undivided time, energy, focus and compassion. There’s too much drama in the world and in rescue…we don’t need more.
