marcoujor: The Focus of Fall

Autumn is officially here.

Autumn is a season I welcome with open arms. A season filled with new beginnings, changes and self-growth.  

Fall breezes bring me a sense of clarity and freedom, to be. Fallen leaves will begin to blanket Mother Earth in a glorious array of colors and warmth.

I am able to absorb energy from the sunshine, and joy from my loving Labradors, Andy and Zoey. They cannot get enough of rolling in the plant beds that Daddy has so artfully designed.

I think of my parents, their lessons and the memories that have shaped me into who I am today.​

Time to Rethink

Image via Alexas_Fotos of Pixabay. Click here to visit their gallery.

​I acknowledge that life experiences have improved my active listening skills. 

As both a nurse, an instructor and a writer, it’s my job to elicit the chief complaint; the educational needs or the story from my patients, students or characters.

​Back to my students…

​What about me as a person? This would be mar the wife, sister, aunt and friend.

I greatly admired my Mom’s ability to listen. So many, with me at the head of the line, found comfort in her active listening skills, which came from the heart without the unnecessary benefit of study.

I’ve learned along the way that most of us want/need support and validation from our loved ones, both family and friends. It seems that each of us finds our intimate circle of connections where we are free to be vulnerable.

My connections core knows who they are. I send my eternal gratitude to each of you for loving me as is.
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​Working with/knowing others on a work team does not equal friendship

Image via Hans of Pixabay. Click here to visit his gallery.

A work environment that is warm, cooperative, respectful and positive is ideal for best practice and keeps the focus on the customer.

Blurring or crossing boundaries between coworkers and/or customers is a certain recipe for disaster.

A few of the ingredients for such a disaster include:

• Oversharing of personal information that has nothing to do with the task at hand
• Becoming heavily/over invested in another’s problem/issue
• Taking another’s problem / issue ‘home’ with you. Everyone is entitled to personal space and time
• Believing, even for a moment, that one has the ability to change someone else. We can teach, offer our best professional support, yet knowing the only behavior we can adjust is our own.

In no way am I suggesting that we behave in an unprofessional or uncivil manner towards others who attempt to cross personal boundaries.

I believe in most cases the situation can be nipped in the bud with initial support (perhaps a referral to someone who is equipped to advise in the matter) and, if necessary, a firm and polite reminder of our role/inability to directly assist.   
        
Thank you, dear readers, for allowing me to collect some general guidelines that I will be able to share with students along the way. Despite specific examples being different in circumstances and severity, it seems to boil down to knowing and adhering to your personal boundaries.​

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ShoutOuts

☙ Afrikaans Idioms versus English equivalents - Letter A via Martie’s Foyer

☙ From Utter Despair to Practical Help via WarnerWords

☙ Daith Piercing for Migraine Relief (Right Ear) via flashPress

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Until next week, wishing you peace,

mar ​