I have been fascinated with the idea of choosing a word for the year. I have read snippets from other bloggers who have chosen their word and incorporated it into their posts. So, royal friends, after much consideration I have selected my word; kindness.
Kindly bear with me as I explain why I selected this word. As I told you earlier, I am retired. I spent 19 years working in Student Affairs as a part of an awesome team of individuals dedicated to making life on campus safe and civil. The people I worked with during this time became my family and I hope they know how much they mean to me. The last five years were not the same in any way, shape, or form. They weren't bad, but they weren't nearly as satisfying or rewarding. I found myself the lone remaining 'veteran' in the midst of an entirely new team. I was the old-timer with a new supervisor from a younger generation of professionals. I am very flexible and I can get along with just about anyone in any situation. However, while I consider myself a wanna be queen, I have never been any good when it comes to dealing with drama queens. There was a bunch of DRAMA...
There were many times during those last five years I was not treated very kindly. Please understand part of my job description should have included "...be able to tolerate uncivil and unkind behavior from some of the students and parents with whom you are in contact...". However, I did not expect my supervisor to treat me in an uncivil or unkind manner. I found myself as the recipient of loud, and public, rebukes for situations clearly outside of my realm of control. More often than not, it seemed as if this behavior occurred whenever she was experiencing trouble at home. I believe her behavior was obvious to those around me as they were treated this way as well. There was a difference between these two examples; my job description and title offered me a bit more weight/power in responding to my supervisor's behavior while the others around me had different classifications, most being clerical workers. I always thought it made it more difficult for them to call her on her behavior...this angered me more than anything else.
Therefore, I have chosen kindness as my word for 2013 because I don't want anyone to be treated as I was during that time. Even when things aren't going the way I expect them to go, there is no reason to be mean and snarly to those around me. Yesterday I was cleaning out some of the clutter from our home office when I found something I wrote to myself while I was dealing with the drama at work. I want to share it because I think it contains some good advice:
Ignore idiots; all you have to do is tolerate them. You don't have to like, or be liked by, them. Ignore their DRAMA*. Don't dwell on the negative.
Be grateful. Be happy. Love. Smile. Make the decision, then run with it. Be nice. Be calm. Remember you CAN choose how you feel and how to live your life. Don't whine. Be thankful. Be kind. Be silent. Be yourself. Don't worry. Don't waste your "mind" strength. Be thankful for who you are. It is okay to be successful. Embrace your unique self.
*added today
That's all for today...sorry I rambled. When I get to be Queen, I won't be allowed to ramble anymore! :-) Happy Saturday. Be kind and enjoy your weekend.
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