Aaaaand I'm back. I apologize for the brief recess in activity as I'm sure all of you couldn't go on functioning without waiting for my next monumental thought :) It has been a rough couple months for me with multiple changes and adjustments....new life...death...transitions and such. After taking a much needed mental health break from my own mental functioning, my brain was able to start ticking again with free thought.
So, where my mind lead me to today is the purpose of what I do and why I do it. With my husband coming from a retail position professionally, his goal is to have as many repeat customers as possible and for as long as possible. From a business standpoint I should have this same mentality as well. However, fundamentally and morally I don't think I have follow this concept in order to be doing my job effectively. We have heard the old adage, "If you give a man a fish he'll eat for a day, If you teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime." With this in mind, my personal and professional goal is not to help each client to work through each individual problem but rather to look at the bigger picture to identify the method in which the problem occurred.
I work with a volatile population that unfortunately lives in a constant state of chaos, unfortunately. We may think, oh that's just those people that can't figure out how to live their lives. False. Yes, individuals are definitely better off with larger support system, higher income, access to resources and so forth. If you are blessed enough to have these circumstances, congratulations, you have a greater chance at surviving chaos than others. However, do not put yourself on any pedestal because you still have work to do just like everyone else in this world. In order to "teach how to fish" one must look at the common denominator in continuing problems rather than varying factors.
For example, one might say to themselves, "EVERYONE is driving me insane! At work, people are constantly picking apart the work that I do, when I come home, my husband is just always getting on my nerves, my children cannot stop fighting with each other AND I am still not in the car that I told myself I would be driving at this age!"
There are several different factors in this that could be picked apart bit by bit. Exploration of work environment, marriage counseling and communication techniques, parenting skills, and personal expectations. Addressing each issue would be "giving a fish." What we need to do is address the underlying issue that may be affecting this individual's perception of chaos in each area of their life. A therapist can significantly help you with processing through your thoughts and emotions but if you give it a try you might be able to find your answer on your own. Think about the common denominator in all issues that may arise. Is this something that you can change about yourself that will effect all of these different areas? Are you not listening to something that your body is trying to tell you or are you not communicating a feeling that you didn't even know you had. Practice mindfulness and internally investigate. This will teach you how to fish rather than eating your TV dinner and calling it a day.
