Forgiveness

I'm struggling somewhat to figure out this PA business. It's tough being a student. I've probably said that a million times by now. It's challenging to maintain enthusiasm throughout the day when I'm hungry and tired and sick of hearing about other people's problems. My patience runs short on patients when I'm hangry and have been on my feet for several hours. I'm sorry. I wish I could say I love every minute of it, but it's stretching me. I guess that means I'm growing. Like an athlete I'm building endurance and stamina without getting burned out in the process I hope. Everyone has those days, right? When a vacation sounds nice and/or the temptation of staying in bed is nearly insurmountable...

I want to excel. Really and truly, I strive for perfection. I fall woefully short. I've been known to beat myself up over this sense of failure and inadequacy when I don't make the grade. So I'm learning to extend myself grace and accept forgiveness when I miss the mark and don't meet the high standard I set and hold myself to. I want to impress, but I need to recognize making a good impression has less to do with knowing all the right answers and more to do with treating everyone with care and respect. Academia is hard. You spend years being conditioned to achieve to answer questions appropriately for a superb grade. Out in the workplace, you are graded in a different way on evaluations. It's not always about how smart you are. No one is perfect. Yet there seems to be more pressure these days to be successful in a career, relationships, community, finances, etc. We make comparisons, but who really lives up to all that all the time? Deep down, no one. And that's ok. That's why we need grace and forgiveness and the humility to say I'm sorry. 
Remember tomorrow is a new day if we are blessed to receive it. (Lamentations 3:21-23)

I am practicing an attitude of gratitude to stave off my bemoaning the perils of student life constantly. 5 things today I am thankful for: coffee, a comfy bed, health, being able to run, cookie dough icecream. It's the simple things in life we take for granted. The gratefulness list could be a million posts, but I probably shouldn't ramble on that long.