With Lander experiencing spring floods and myself treading water as I learn the ropes at a new job, the question of character has been on my mind. The greatest gift of this professional transition so far has been the opportunity to practice maintaining perspective, grace and humor amidst the unknowing.
Given that all I can control is my response to the present moment, who do I aim to be? What do I hold myself accountable for? How do I frame and narrate this experience? I find myself wrestling with questions of identity and referencing Positive Psychology's periodic table of elements...
WISDOM
creativity, curiosity, love of learning, perspective
COURAGE
bravery, perseverance, honesty, enthusiasm
HUMANITY
love, kindness, social intelligence
JUSTICE
social responsibility, teamwork, fairness, leadership
TEMPERANCE
forgiveness, humility, prudence, self-control
TRANSCENDENCE
COURAGE
bravery, perseverance, honesty, enthusiasm
HUMANITY
love, kindness, social intelligence
JUSTICE
social responsibility, teamwork, fairness, leadership
TEMPERANCE
forgiveness, humility, prudence, self-control
TRANSCENDENCE
appreciation of beauty, gratitude, optimism, humor, spirituality
So while we jury rig the sump pump, wring out the mop into a bucket, and shop vac in order to keep the water at bay in our basement, I am thinking about how to be appropriately porous and bounded.