Me Thinks

May I share something that I am working on...  Some things can be done and taken care of quickly.  Cleaning toilets, for example.  There is no reason to dawdle--I need to get in there and get the job done.  I like crossing things off of my daily list and so I can usually find the motivation for jobs like this, even if they are not my favorite. But, sometimes things can't be done quickly and efficiently because they involve people, and that is a life lesson that I am still learning.  (You would think that I would have learned it by now.)  This category includes:  visiting teaching, a phone call from a friend who needs to talk, a phone call from a husband who is driving home from work, a visit with someone at a rest home, etc.  I have to admit that sometimes these situations are a challenge for me because I am so minute-to-minute oriented.  I have been especially that way lately because of a stats class, a wedding, and Christmas planning.  I feel a pressing need to make the most of every  minute, but people cannot be rushed like certain tasks can.  I am working on this--when I am with someone or talking to someone, I try to relax, to not watch the clock, and to fully engage.  I want people to think that they are important and that there is nothing that I would rather be doing, which is true. I am also working on not thinking about the next task while doing the first task.  I believe the prophet Jacob describes this as "looking beyond the mark."  

The day before Thanksgiving my list was long, as it is for most women who are hostessing Thanksgiving dinner, and my son and I went out to rake leaves.  The leaves were abundant and many piles were made and the process was taking longer than I had scheduled.  I became silently grumpy and I wanted to get the job done and get on with the day when I thought, "Hey Janine--you are outside on a beautiful day (the sun was shining on Wednesday morning), you are working alongside your teenage son and he is not complaining about being out here with you, you are healthy and able to work outside, and this will not last forever.  Enjoy the moment."  That little talk with myself helped and I ended the job in a pleasant mood.

Stephen R. Covey said:   

The value of any week is not limited to what we do in it; it's also in what we learn from it and become as a result of it. 

First Things First, pg. 189