I can't say I was incredibly stressed like I was in undergrad because I know I am fulfilling my purpose. BUT I took it incredibly serious because I want to be the best school counselor I can be for my future students and I am paying for this education. This semester, we've wrestled with a lot of hard topics including : poverty, school to the prison pipeline, tracking, gender inequity, ethics etc. Throughout this season, I was balancing all of these topics and I realized - crap - I'm going to be responsible for these kids. By mid November, I spent a lot of time in tears and frustrations. NOT because I didn't think I could do it, but because I knew I needed to see the hard stuff to see my role. I knew I had to balance each piece of this profession.
But you know...it wasn't until I breathed that I felt like could juggle
each piece of this journey. I am being pruned and shaped for this position.
Funny how the last four weeks are representative of life's struggles. We may get so bogged down in the many roles we have, the weight of the responsibilities...that we forget to breath. We forget to see that the challenges we are facing or the journey we are taking are ultimately transforming us for the next step in life. We get caught up in the busyness of life...we don't breath, pause, and reflect.
Today, I randomly attended a yoga class and for the first time in three years, I finally appreciated the fullness of my breathing. Instead of focusing on my instructor twisting us into pretzels, I listened to her cues for breathing in and breathing out. I controlled my breathing....one...two...three...breath in....one...two...three...breath out. I felt the rise and fall of my chest...the expansion of my belly. Before I knew it, my mind was incredibly still. I didn't focus on the challenging poses, I focused on my breathing. It was empowering to be in tune with the very faculty that gives us the blessing of life everyday.
Yes...the three weeks of chaos came and went. I definitely learned a great deal about balancing the great deal of information. Finals week(s) reminded me that it won't get easier. Life will throw many responsibilities and challenges at me. Life will throw many responsibilities and challenges at you. How will we deal? I will suggest sitting down to think about what makes you happy. Create a wellness plan for dealing with craziness and busyness (#selfcare) AND stick with it.
Don't sacrifice your well-being for work and things that will always be there.
Instead,
pause
care for yourself
and...
don't forget to breath <3
