Do what I say not what I do! I wish I could stick to these 20 ‘happiness rules’ – one day at a time!!
I was reflecting too much on Coronavirus and the negative impact on my life when up flashed this on my screen to remind me that happiness isn’t controlled with what happens externally but what we do with it when it get’s internalised. Yesterday I worked for 12 hours almost non-stop in a Coronavirus vaccination clinic. Prior to this most of my day has been of late dealing with patients online or by phone due to us needing to avoid spreading the Coronavirus needlessly. What this means in reality is that for the vast majority (Approx. 90%) there is no direct patient contact, By definition we need the patients with us ‘face to face’ in order to vaccinate them and also in large numbers so as to get as big a throughput as possible and vaccinate the maximum number in the time available. We also need to do this keeping as socially distanced as possible whist in line etc. and in full PPE when doing the actual vaccinating. Since there is a small, (actually VERY small) risk of allergic reaction we also need to keep the patients under close observation for 15 minutes afterwards and also manage their throughput efficiently so as to avoid bottlenecks further up the chain. So you can imagine outside there have been long queues to get in and a crowded (albeit socially distanced in cubicles) ‘recovery area’ (Also the resuscitation station should there be any bad reaction – fortunately none during my shift!) For 12 hours I had a constant flow in and out with each patient there for a minimum of 15 minutes. The contrast between this and my usual ‘day job’ could not have been more different. I was able to spend time not just corralling but chatting and answering questions and basically ‘hanging out’ with a great cohort of patients – Mainly over 80, stoic, non-complaining and effusive in their thanks. Since I was the end of a rather rushed ‘conveyor belt’ with a forced ‘rest period’ I was the one who benefited most from their humour and gratitude as by this time everyone had been vaccinated and had a positive feeling, that they might just now be on the first step back to some semblance of normal life. They had also been able to sit down and warm up in contrast to having stood in line outside in the perishing cold. The rush was now to get out and home, rather than to get in and be jabbed!
So I witnessed myself a shift in mindset and realised if I didn’t know it already that I’m a people person and that I’ve so missed being around actual human beings!!
On reflection I need to seek out more human contact but also look at the positives that remain, the effect that a smile and a thank you can give and how we’re all in this together.
It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. When something happens, the only thing in your power is your attitude toward it; you can either accept it or resent it.
- “The biggest and most complex obstacle I will ever have to overcome is my mind. If I can overcome that, I can overcome anything.”
- “I cannot control exactly what happens in life, but I can control how I respond to it all. In my response is my greatest power.”
- “I have to accept whatever comes my way, and the only important thing is that I meet it with the best I have to give.”
- “I will stop focusing on how stressed I am and remember how blessed I am. Complaining won’t change my reality, but a positive attitude will.”
- “Being positive does not mean ignoring the negative. Being positive means overcoming the negative. There is a big difference between the two.”
- “I will not get caught up in what could’ve been or should’ve been. I will look instead at the power and possibility of what is, right now.”
- “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions. It’s about not letting my fear decide my future.”
- “I will get back up. Again, and again. The faster I recover from setbacks, the faster I’ll get to where I’m going in life.”
- “My next step in the right direction does not have to be a big one.”
- “Patience is a genuine expression of confidence, acceptance, serenity, and faith in my own ability. It’s a sign of strength. I will practice it.”
- “When I find that I don’t have time for what matters, I will stop doing things that don’t.”
- “I can always feel the genuine, positive power that flows from my decision to rise above the petty drama and distractions that don’t really matter anyway.”
- “Instead of getting angry, I will find the lesson. In place of envy, I will feel admiration. In place of worry, I will take positive action. In place of doubt, I will have faith.”
- “The longer I remain peaceful, the stronger I become. Peace on the inside leads to real, meaningful progress on the outside.”
- “There’s nothing selfish about self-care and self-love. I can’t give what I don’t have. When I enrich my own life, I’ll be life-giving to others too.”
- “If the grass looks greener on the other side, it’s just life’s way of reminding me to water the grass I’m standing on.”
- “From now on I will be too busy watering my own grass to notice if yours is greener.
- “I will focus on making myself better, not on thinking I am better.”
- “I will practice gratitude, even in the midst of frustration and despair, so I can better see the positive possibilities around me “Happiness does not start when ‘this, that or the other’ thing is resolved. Happiness is what happens now, when I make the best of what I have.”
- “Happiness does not start when ‘this, that or the other’ thing is resolved. Happiness is what happens now, when I make the best of what I have.”
At the end of the day we had vaccinated nearly 450 of our local vulnerable patients and not just given them some immunity* to the Coronavirus but a big boost to their confidence and hope for the future!
*Do note however that full immunity takes time to get to it’s maximum potential and that this can be 2 – 3 weeks. Even then nothing is 100% and you may well still be vulnerable to catching the Coronavirus and developing the symptoms of Covid-19 which can of course be fatal. You may also be able to pass the Coronavirus onto others too. Remember having the vaccine is not all about you, but also about you doing your bit for society and protecting others.
It's the Time Of Your Life 