It's Spiritual Journey Thursday, and Bob is asking us to think about the influence of our attitude. You can read his post here.
When I saw the prompt for this month's SJT, I immediately felt like I was entering the confession booth of the churches of my youth...
...because there was a situation where I copped an attitude at the beginning of the school year, and it has affected my working relationships with certain people. I have rarely exhibited such behavior in my professional career, and I even shocked myself.
Was my attitude warranted? After much reflecting and discussing with people I trust, the answer has been yes.
Could I have handled my frustration in a more professional manner? After much reflecting and discussing with people I trust...the answer has been maybe. We all have our limits, and I had reached mine.
I've learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses while navigating the aftermath of my attitude.
- I am a master at compartmentalizing. My issues with some do not affect my relationships with the rest; in fact, it makes me appreciate them even more. The same goes for my work at hand; I can still strive to be a good educator with my students' best interests at heart.
- I have always had problems dealing with conflict, especially when I feel like I'm not valued by the other side. It makes me doubt my worth and the wisdom of my experience. This is not the feeling I wanted to be battling during my final year in public education.
The biggest takeaway from this year is that transparent, timely communication is my first and foremost "love language" in the workplace. I hold myself accountable for my side of this communication. I am working on losing my negative attitude, while treasuring the positive relationships at work and at home.
