This week at work, I attended a training class intended to get us thinking about ways to improve ourselves at work. Everyone in the company had to take the class and I was dreading being away from my work for half a day but I actually ended up enjoying the class. There were some good reminders and two of those were about adaptability and resiliency.
The trainer talked about anchors at our desk during the work day: pictures of loved ones, poems, mementos, things that remind us that the immediate upset or stress we are feeling because of a work situation is not at the core of our being. These anchors are reminders of what is TRULY important in our lives.
I went back to my desk that afternoon and looked around at my anchors. Here are things I have at my desk that remind me what's important:
Toys: Yes, toys. I keep wind up toys, a Rubik's cube, toy cars, a pink rubber duck wearing a feather boa, and a crazy squishy ball. These toys remind me not to be so serious. I often need that reminder to take a break and just veg for a second to get away (mentally) from a situation. When others come to my desk, they'll sometimes pick up a toy and toss it around while we talk. It's just a way to take a mental break and let your brain have a little fun.
A viking helmet (that I got when I completed the Warrior Dash) and a princess crown: To remind myself and others that I am both a regal woman and a total bad ass.
Chuck E Cheese coins: Actually these are not mine. They were at the desk when I became its occupant. I'm not even sure why I keep them except that it cracks me up every time I pick one up. What grown up sat at that desk and had Chuck E Cheese coins on hand? Then I remember that I used to think that place was magical. And I'm reminded of the fun and excitement I used to feel going into Chuck E Cheese and that just makes me smile.
Pictures: I have pictures of Oli and me, Mike and me, and pictures of all three of us together. And these photos are my biggest visible anchor of all. They remind me why I work and why I work hard. They remind me that there are people counting on me, people who I want to make proud, people who will love me no matter how bad my day was, people who, when I get home, are so excited to see me. Whenever I leave work I tell people, "Now, I get to go to my real job!" I am reminded each time I look at Mike's and Oli's faces that my family is my rock. They provide a foundation for me and I truly believe this is part of the reason I have success in my work. My husband and child have helped me to build a confidence that was just barely sprouting before they came into my life.
The anchor you won't see at my desk is THE thing that keeps me grounded and that is my faith. I don't keep any religious "stuff" on my desk but I carry my faith with me at all times. Every morning before we leave, Mike and I and Olivia if she's awake, say a prayer together. We thank God for the day before and the day ahead. We pray for our family, for our marriage, for our roles as parents. We lift up our family and friends and any in need. We ask for His presence in all things throughout our day and that He would guide us to be good examples to all we come in contact with that day.
Some mornings, I'm in a bad mood or Mike is dreading the day because work is going to be busy. Or some mornings we just wake up exhausted from a trying evening the night before. Some mornings we've even been put out with one another. But there is something about that prayer time that brings us together. It gives us an opportunity to stop and remember that we are part of something bigger. It is a reminder that our roles as husband and wife, as parents, as workers, and members of our society are vocations and gifts. We are given an opportunity to express gratitude for the day that we dread--for even having a day TO dread. Our prayers for others remind us that we are not the only ones with trials in our life.
This prayer time strengthens me throughout the day even when I am not conscious of it. Lifting up our day to God in the morning is a little like putting on sunscreen before a day at the beach. Once the sunscreen absorbs into your skin, you can't see it and you'll probably forget you even put it on. But the whole day, it is keeping you safe and protected from harm. That's how our prayer is.
I'm not saying every day is just glorious. There are days that around 3 o'clock, I just want to beat my head on a wall. Truthfully there are days that I feel that way around 9 o'clock. In the morning! I believe though that our prayer each day just gives me that extra drive and confidence to continue to take on the day. It's not just Mike and Oli that I want to be proud of me. I'd like to let God know that I am grateful for His gifts by making the most of them too.
I get frustrated and sad and flustered but my life feels solid because of my anchors, especially my faith. There are things I don't understand and times that I wonder what in the heck is going on but my core is strong. I am reminded daily that life can change in a millisecond but God's love never does. He provides for me laughter, confidence, reminders of childhood, and unconditional love. Most of all, He reminds me all day that, no matter what happens--good and/or bad--I am never, ever in this crazy world alone.
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