Simply put, life has been incredibly chaotic the past two weeks. I (finally) started my new job. The first few days on the job I was in Mt. Pleasant for a New Employee Orientation and then drove to Frankenmuth for the rest of the week to attend a conference on Trauma-Informed Care and Nurtured Heart (which is an excellent parenting approach if you are looking for one). Week two started off with a bang as met all of my new colleagues and entered a child's home to provide therapy for the first time. The second half of the week I was in Midland attending a Rational Living Therapy training. I can breathe tonight. A lot of "firsts" are under my belt. Everyone in the office is nice, I wasn't asked to leave my first home, and I was provided the opportunity to expand my knowledge by attending a handful of excellent trainings. At the RLT training, a concept was introduced that I had never heard of. Magic Worry. A simple concept, but one that I hadn't given much thought. Often times we use worry to try to protect ourselves from something that we do not want to happen, and we think that because we have worried and that something hasn't happened, it's magic, and we will continue to use worry to protect us from our somethings. I am a worrier. The older I get the more I worry. And for years, I have believed that worrying has protected me from all the things I fear happening. An example: The Sunday night before my first day on the job, I booked a hotel in Mt. Pleasant because I was worried I would be late if I wasn't a mile drive away. I was worried my alarm wouldn't go off, or I would get a flat tire, or I wouldn't be able to find the building, or, or, or. The speaker provided a lot of suggestions on how to bust the myth of magic worry and begin thinking rationally. Believe it or not, as I left the training, I was already worrying about how I was going to stop worrying. How silly. I have forgotten where my peace comes from. I do not have to worry or fret over the unknown. As I looked out of the front window of our home yesterday, I felt peace. There is something about watching the leaves change and fall gracefully to the ground. The changes of fall brings gifts I truly do not deserve to witness. This new season that Austin and I have entered has been full of gifts that we do not deserve. We are praying for peace in the unknown. We are praying against fear and worry. We are grateful that amidst so much change, we serve a God who never changes. Isaiah 43:1-3 But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
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Your post made me realize I also am a "magic worrier", Haley. Have been struggling to find peace in the unknown myself & am so happy you shared your experience. Congratulations on all the new for you & Austin in this season of transformation.
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Hi! I'm Haley. Archives
May 2019
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