Monday, January 11, 2010

something to think about

While browsing msn.com this morning, I came across this quote from Karen Salmansohn.

"Have you heard about the famous research study done on a clique of young goldfish? They were raised in a luxuriously long aquarium with a pesky glass wall smack down its middle. Every time these goldfish tried to swim to the far side of the aquarium — ouch — they'd hit their little fish noses on the glass wall's hard surface. Eventually, the goldfish were resigned to their limited swimming options and stayed swooshing around in the half-size aquarium, which they now recognized as home.

"After a few months, the researchers removed the glass wall, allowing the goldfish full reign to swim wherever their little gills could gather speed to take them. Guess what? The goldfish never tried to swim to the other side of the long aquarium. Although the goldfish were no longer stopped by that glass wall, they were stopped by their limiting beliefs. They became prisoners of their past life conditioning!

"We humans are no better. Over time, we amass limiting beliefs about how life supposedly is — beliefs that are not valid. Then we allow these limiting beliefs to stop us from fully living our happiest lives.

"If you want to experience maximum happiness, more important than whether you see that metaphorical glass as half-full or half-empty, is whether you see a metaphorical glass wall in your way. After all, you could be the most optimistic person on this planet — consciously believing you deserve bundles of cash and heaps of loving — yet you can still remain blocked from getting all you want.

"How can that be? Because although your conscious mind might be thinking many, many fabulous thoughts about you, your subconscious mind can simultaneously remain very busy thinking its limiting glass wall beliefs."

Interesting, eh?

Saturday, January 2, 2010

happiness

What is happiness? It seems like the whole world is always on this constant search for happiness. It seems to me that everyone's definition of happiness varies depending on stages of life, past experiences, etc.

For my life circumstances right now, I would consider myself happy. I am always striving to learn more and better myself, but overall I live a happy life. As I look to the future, which is commonplace - especially this time of year, I wonder what it is that will be my definition of happiness 5 years from now, 10 years from now. Granted, 5 years ago I probably wouldn't have placed myself where I am now, but life doesn't always happen exactly how we plan it - or even want it to. I sincerely hope that I will live my life in such a way that I can continue to experience happiness an joy for many years to come.

At work, I am the person that comes around and wakes you up in the wee hours of the morning to draw your blood, or the person who you come to see specifically so I can stick a needle in your arm. Not often is the person walking around with the phlebotomy tray anyone's favorite person to see. However; since I am in the position that I am, I am privy to observing a lot of human interaction.

One of my favorite type of patients to see are those with their significant others. More often than not, I am drawing the woman's blood with the man watching. I absolutely LOVE seeing how cute guys can be with their wives. The women that come in to test their blood during their first pregnancy with their husbands who are cute and protective and try to distract them while I draw the blood. The husband that makes sure I am the plebotomist his wife gets everytime she comes in because he knows I can succussfully draw her blood with minimal pain and sticks. And let's not forget the grieving husband silently holding his wife's feet,with tears streaming down his face, while the doctor accesses her after a snowmobiling accident.

All of these situations are so tender. The love and devotion that these couples have towards each other is almost tangible. With every word that is spoken I get to see how much they truly care about each other. One day I want to experience this type of happiness. I want to be the girl with the cute husband that the phlebotomist loves to see.Whether this day comes in 2 years or 20, I want to care about someone so deeply that it overtakes my whole being.

So, to Mr. Right, wherever and whoever you are, know this: I'm not really picky about what you look like or how much money you make. I'm sure that you will have a past because I have one too. Your car can be twenty years old or brand new - none of this really matters. What I am really interested in is how you will care for me. Your love and devotion to me will one day mean more than any of those superficial things ever could. I look forward to the day I meet you, and if I come off as a little stand-offish I promise it isn't just you, I come off that way to most people when they first meet me. I'm not necessarily an easy girl to catch, but somewhere inside I really do want you to sweep me off my feet.