A few weeks ago my 13 year old daughter was upset because her science grade fell to an 89. (*I might write another post on perfectionism, but that’s for another day). She’s accustomed to school work coming easily, so this was new territory.
I simply reminded her that 1) an 89 was actually not a bad grade, but more importantly 2) although her science class may be hard, that she can do hard things.
The very next week, my 10-year old son was upset because his basketball tryouts didn’t go well. Mind you he hasn’t played organized basketball since kindergarten, but in his mind that shouldn’t prevent him from making the select team.
I had to remind him that 1) practice does improve skills and 2) although it may be hard to catch up to his teammates, he can do hard things
In a spark of irony I’ve had to tell myself this same refrain over and over again for the past year.
Today was my first day back to work in 4 years. 4 years! I felt like the new kid in high school. Will I fit in? Will I get lost? Will anyone sit with me at lunch? No matter how old you get, the worries seem to stay the same.
But, the first day of work wasn’t the hardest thing, it was the journey to get here.
For months, I had to amp myself up everyday to keep working the job search. I had to do hard things every. single. day.
- I had to organize my days, that didn’t have any structure, to be most productive
- I had to meet with countless strangers to expand my network
- I had to take dreaded calls that indicated I was the ‘runner-up’ candidate
- I had to update my family and friends with a smile, while informing them that I was still in the job hunt.
I had to do hard things.
So for all the individuals who are searching for a job in this the most uncertain of times, just remember, you too can do hard things. (Phillippians 4:13)
(Star) Transition 