February 4, 2015
When the email came from a coworker that she was looking for volunteers to write a short article for the employee newsletter, I was really excited. I love to write, and when she said she had no particular theme, I thought this will be easy, sign me up! I started thinking of ideas of what to write about- what would other employees be interested in? What is a work appropriate topic that is entertaining but also insightful? And then I realized this was going to be harder than I had expected. After pondering the handful of ideas I had, for example, how to use technology to reach our ag subscribers; how we could all learn how to communicate better; the pros and cons of fitness trackers (yeah, yeah… I have a little bit of a scatter brain, and was all over the board for this), I decided that I wouldn’t want another co-worker to preach to me about how I need to communicate better with others. I also knew that I couldn’t make my excitement about a new, awesome livestock app interesting for everyone. What was I going to write about? I finally decided to take a different approach. After reading Denise’s email about fifteen times, it dawned on me- what can I share that will help inspire more positivity and stress relief for my co-workers?
We all have a lot of anxiety and tension these days- from large projects at work to the everyday stress of getting the kids to school or daycare on time. I think we all agree that stress is inevitable, but learning how to put our anxiety and nervous energy to a better use than fretting and worrying is the best way to cope with that dirty five-letter word. We are constantly inundated with Facebook posts and Pinterest pages for how to live more positively, how to exercise more frequently, how to live a wonderful life without having to work at it. These things are all well and good, but do they truly inspire you to be a better person? To lose those five extra pounds around your middle? I have been reading a lot of articles lately about how to learn to appreciate what you have and make the most of the here and now, rather than constantly buying the best of everything and checking your Facebook timeline every three minutes. I really believe that if we could learn to check-out; to go offline and relearn how to connect with other people on a human level, it would help eliminate a lot of the self-induced stress we put upon ourselves.
Every person on this Earth is really good at something. If you can figure out what you are really good at, and put that to work for YOU, then I can bet you will find more positivity and less stress in your life. Are you a shutterbug? Get out there and take more pictures! Find a subject that makes you happy and gives you enjoyment, and shoot the heck out of it. Do you write? If you are comfortable doing so, share it with others. You might just be shocked at the feedback you will get. I never, in a million years, thought that anyone would want to read what I write in my free time; turns out, my friends liked it enough to inspire me to start my own blog. It is an awesome stress reliever, because it has given me a platform to share my humor, wisdom, and lack thereof; and has allowed me to connect with other people with the same interests and lifestyle as me. Especially during winter, when it is too cold to venture outside with my young children, being able to share my blog posts with others has helped me learn to laugh at the temper tantrums, and appreciate my roots.
Find something that moves you; take ownership of your own happiness, and like the queen in my daughter's favorite movie says, "Let it go!" Life is much too short to let words go unspoken, promises unkempt, and to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Appreciate what you have, who you have to share it with, and be gracious enough to share your happiness with others. Instead of letting misery search for company in every face you see, kick it to the curb and try to pass on something positive. I know my life is full of really wonderful things; and I know yours is too. Here is to more smiles, less stress, and a beautiful spring.
Till next time,
~Richelle