This week at work was frustrating. I felt like I was being prevented from doing a good job, from giving good patient care, by forces outside of my control.
And it pissed me off.
Maybe you can relate.
I felt wronged and affronted AND totally justified in these feelings.
So, I did the only reasonable thing, I thought about it constantly. I tried to change the circumstances. I ruminated, anxiety sitting firmly on my chest like a pile of bricks.
I got nowhere.
But then I read this quote
“Adversity can harden you.
Or it can loosen you up and make you better- if you let it.”
(The Obstacle is the Way- Ryan Holiday).
It made me realize that I was exhausting myself, continually throwing myself up against a wall that wasn’t going to move.
I don’t have the power to change the issue I want changed.
I can be mad about it, I can be indignant over the effects of this obstacle, this wall.
I can be irate that the wall is there and the builders of the wall don’t see the pointlessness of it.
But it’s sooooooooooo exhausting and ultimately fruitless. My patient doesn’t get better care and now my focus is totally removed from the patient.
If I stayed in this energy, the adversity would harden me.
I don’t want to be hardened. I want to be flexible, compassionate, and not distracted by annoyances.
So, I had to practice some humility. I always resist this, I want to believe I can change anything but unfortunately this is not reality, especially in a large corporation.
However, humility does not equal powerlessness. My power (and your power) lies in creativity and persistence. I brought my focus back to why I am there, to care for patients and help decrease their suffering.
Through this experience, I had to rely on my own creativity to find a different way to give great care to the patient, care within the confines of the present reality.
I had to become better.
A better NP, a better problem solver, a better person.
Now I feel like a badass…and the oppressive weight of the anxiety on my chest has dissipated.
When you are surrounded by obstacles, don’t get upset, get creative, get focused. You can ALWAYS help the patient in some way. And that is what we’re here for.
Do the walls around you feel insurmountable? I’ve been there, and I can help you get your power back. Reach out to schedule a call.