Rebecca, my best friend, and the official photographer of this blog was also my boss until today. She has now moved on to an exciting new position in another department, which means she can no longer boss me around. However, I have sneaky feeling that she will continue to try and boss me despite the transition.
I haven't been here in a while, no little matter compelling me enough to come and write. You could call it a lack of inspiration, but you'd be wrong. It was procrastination, laziness, and the inability to make time for something enjoyable and rewarding when life is too occupied with things that do not possess these qualities. Today, however, I must write and say what I told Rebecca in a card I wrote her. I told her I didn't want to look back at the (almost) 6 years of coaching and guidance that she has given me and talk about how much I will miss sharing an office with her, which allows me to turn around from my desk and ask her any random question about work with the expectation of a readily crafted answer. Instead, I chose to look forward with her towards our mutual success and our friendship which will no doubt continue to thrive. She is after all godmother to my only child.
This act of choosing to look forward instead of backward has inspired me to look at the past in a new light. Why does nostalgia have to hold an undercurrent of regret and guilt? Why can't memories just be collected as treasures and propel us forward? It seemed like the obvious thing to do today, to tell her that I am not going to dwell on how much I have grown with her mentorship -- she knows it, and so do I. She knows I am grateful. Now, I just have to bring the same positive thinking to the other aspects of my life.
I imagine it varies from person to person. Some people fill you with a sense of positivity -- others don't. We can't always weed the negativity out of our lives, but we can limit it. Today, on the day when my best friend transitions to having just this singular role in my life (you see, it is all about me), I promise myself to take some important steps towards limiting negativity and focus on all the good things in life. Just as I chose to do today even though I am terribly scared of not having her around anymore. We all need to grow up and grow better. I will try to do so consciously and conscientiously.
Photo by Rebecca McCue
I haven't been here in a while, no little matter compelling me enough to come and write. You could call it a lack of inspiration, but you'd be wrong. It was procrastination, laziness, and the inability to make time for something enjoyable and rewarding when life is too occupied with things that do not possess these qualities. Today, however, I must write and say what I told Rebecca in a card I wrote her. I told her I didn't want to look back at the (almost) 6 years of coaching and guidance that she has given me and talk about how much I will miss sharing an office with her, which allows me to turn around from my desk and ask her any random question about work with the expectation of a readily crafted answer. Instead, I chose to look forward with her towards our mutual success and our friendship which will no doubt continue to thrive. She is after all godmother to my only child. This act of choosing to look forward instead of backward has inspired me to look at the past in a new light. Why does nostalgia have to hold an undercurrent of regret and guilt? Why can't memories just be collected as treasures and propel us forward? It seemed like the obvious thing to do today, to tell her that I am not going to dwell on how much I have grown with her mentorship -- she knows it, and so do I. She knows I am grateful. Now, I just have to bring the same positive thinking to the other aspects of my life.
I imagine it varies from person to person. Some people fill you with a sense of positivity -- others don't. We can't always weed the negativity out of our lives, but we can limit it. Today, on the day when my best friend transitions to having just this singular role in my life (you see, it is all about me), I promise myself to take some important steps towards limiting negativity and focus on all the good things in life. Just as I chose to do today even though I am terribly scared of not having her around anymore. We all need to grow up and grow better. I will try to do so consciously and conscientiously.
Photo by Rebecca McCue