Chapter 5 Reps.

I am taking part in a series of a training sessions at work. My good friend is also involved. It's nice to have someone with you when you try something new.  We went with open minds into our first two days of the experience. I don't know if all training is like this, but teacher training has it's moments of forced socialization.  They love to get you out of your comfort zone. I'm pretty sure on their end of the year evaluation they have to present an excel sheet with the number of people for whom they induced social anxiety.
Don't worry we did not let the MAN get us down. The first two times we were forced to "mix it up" we stayed together.  At our first table sat one male and five females, counting us.  Our first task in awkward bonding was to find something we all had in common.  Someone throws out the first suggestion, "Do we all have children?" Not, "Are we all married?"  I guess that was implied.  We didn't all have kids so they moved on to pets. That was shot down too. Oh, I should mention that it was my friend and myself with out kids or pets. Next came my favorite suggestion: Scrap Booking!  I giggled, and said, "No, sorry."  To that the Scrapbooker with two kids and a dog said, "You need to get a life!"  After we picked my jaw up from the floor, we decided to lie and say we had all been to Yemen.  Yeah, that was my idea. Yes I'm proud of the corruption I've caused.
Eventually, we warmed up to the room and allowed ourselves to separate. I was feeling pretty good, I mean in a room full of scrapbookers, it's easy to feel good about yourself.  So I decided it was okay to be myself.  I don't think I did too much out of the ordinary, or my idea of ordinary.
Fast forward one week.  On Friday at work, I was talking to one of my favorite people. We were jumping from topic to topic because we have not had much time to catch up since school started.  The training came up in conversation. She told me about a teacher who had met us at the training. Since he didn't remember our names, he described us. She laughed and said, "I knew it was you two!"  
Uh-oh! What on earth did he say?  She didn't go into detail, and that sent my mind in a spiral.  What on could be my reputation among the scrapbooking teachers?
Well, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. I do completely expect to get a lot of writing material from this experience.

Intentions

At times it seems life does not care about our careful planning and preparing. It is going to take the turns, twists, and paths it chooses for us. I do not believe that my life is a product of accidents and mishaps. I believe difficult times are trials. You make it through no matter what happens. How you make it through depends on how you react. What you learn is determined by how you choose to see the trial.
In a recent trial observation, I have learned things that I will take with me in my next trial.  I'll share them with you now.

1. Real joy- Continuing to do the daily tasks without complaining. Finding happiness in small things.  Not  allowing a seemingly hopeless situations, to be hopeless.

2. Real work- Admitting something is wrong. Being willing to work on it. Committing to working on it. Actually working on it, no matter the cost because you know you will all have a different life when it's over. 

3. Real selflessness- Giving yourself completely. Never letting your amount of exhaustion get in the way of where you know you are needed. And you do it all out of love.

4. Real care/concern-  When you give all of your time to helping to someone, but worry you are neglecting someone else in the process. 

So when you see yourself in a trial, remember you are not alone.My intentions in today's blog are simply to help you remember that others are walking with you. Be encouraged. I am.