As part of my “real” job I co-facilitate some groups. I’m not a counselor - my duties are varied. But I learn - oh, how I sometimes learn - if the class participants think it is painful for THEM . . . well, it can be painful for the facilitators as well.

One of the things we tell them is that they need to work their program - in simple terms we all need to be self-aware and deal with the everyday things in a proper manner. It does us little or no good to become upset or worried when things happen around us over which we have no control.

thus -we work our program. I’ve noticed some changes in me since I began the job - driving along the highway and getting cut off - yesterday I caught myself saying out loud “you can handle this - breathe - you’re fine - 1 - 2 - 3  . . . ” etc. I self-soothed.

I won’t minimize anything here by saying I never come unglued - or that I have never lost my temper. I have - but I am learning that it’s okay - I can handle these things - I know how to soothe myself.

for instance - the mangy little dog next door that keeps yapping outside my office window - ohhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmm - breathe - I can handle this. (the fact that the texasusedtobes insisted on putting the dog run in between our houses instead of on the other side of their house where there is a vacant lot that THEY own . . . breathe, moosie. You can handle this, too.)

yap, yap, yap, bark, bark, bark . . .

sigh.

Posted: July 17th, 2007 under Alaska, Moose Nuggets.
Comments: 1