Let's Talk About Words

          Sigmund Freud said, "Love and Work are the cornerstones of our humanness." The love doesn't need to be a romantic love, and the work doesn't have to be a career, but they are what gives our life purpose and meaning. I am lucky that my work also gives me both, love and purpose. I have been taking care of infants for more than 12 years now. I would never have thought that it was possible to love, so deeply, children that are not mine, but I do. I know that the love I feel will never run out; it just keeps coming with every new baby. I am not saying that I don't look forward to a day off or the end of my shift, but I love my babies. When I am on vacation, I wonder how they are. When they move to the toddler unit, I miss them every day. It truly is the best kind of work. I would agree that we need someone to love and something to do to be happy, no matter who you love or what you do, and I am grateful for both.

        Eric Hoffer said, "To become different from what we are, we must have some awareness of what we are." I agree that in order to grow, change and become a more evolved person, we should look at our behaviors closely. Others will look at a person and say that they are stubborn or lazy or any other description, but that person can't see that about themselves. It is difficult to look hard and accept the truth about our own faults, but that is truly the only way to change. I have always been a reactor. I am not confrontational so when others treat me bad or say mean things, I hold it in for too long and then explode. Numerous self help books claim that you can not control what others do; you can only control how you respond. I want that to be true about myself. I no longer want to just "react" to the people and circumstances of my life.  I want to change. Read my words and see my quotes at http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

      The fact is that we all fail in life but should we keep trying or give up? I must admit that I don't fail that often, but that is because I don't try new things that often either. After not making the cheerleading squad in 7th grade when my friends made it, I only joined and tried things that I was sure I could succeed at or at things that did not make cuts.  I have tried to encourage my children to keep trying, but I have not taught them by example. At 49 years old, I will look for opportunities that I can try even if I risk failing and if I fail, I will try to learn from it.

          Nelson Mandela said, " There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which yourself have altered." There are many instances of this situation. Some examples of going home would be going back to your parents house if you don't live close,  to a class reunion or back to the town you grew up in as I did this summer. This topic makes me wonder what my cousins and Uncle thought of the current me and the ways I have changed. I had a great time in Erie, Pa, and I know that I much different since I lived there. I really enjoyed the visit, and I am anxious to go again. It felt wonderful to spend time with people I love and rarely see, in a city that brought back so many memories. The passage of time has even made me see my old city in a new light as well. It was a beautiful city, and much more than I remember! I hope that as I have grown and changed, others will see me as much more than I was as well.