It’s Nurses Week and with the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has finally caught on to what I discovered at age 18 when my dad was in the hospital for open heart surgery. While the surgeon was certainly important, it was the nurses who were the real heroes of my dad’s recovery. They were with my dad every moment, guiding him through a successful post-op recovery.
One thing I know about RNs is that you didn’t get into nursing for the big bucks, the big raises or the big perks (like the cafeteria food, going four hours without a restroom break or the five-minute lunch hour). To do everything that RNs do every day, you have to be wired by passion, by a fire that drives you to make a difference in the lives you hold in your hands. RNs have the strength of fire and passion. But are you as fired up about your nursing career today as when you first started? If not, what are you fired up about?
Yesterday I relocated a cherished photograph that I had purchased in Vietnam. Taking in the serenity of the salt flats in Long Thanh’s Harvest’s Day photo brought me back to a less serene experience I had while stuck on a curb in Saigon (I know it’s Ho Chi Minh City, but nobody calls it that). My objective, a restaurant where my husband and my lunch awaited me, stood on the opposite side of the street. I could see the food, smell it and, if you know me, you know I had built up quite an appetite.
If you’re seeking more joy in your life (Who isn’t in these times?) you need go no further than Psalm 51 which says, “Create a clean heart in me, put me into a new and constant spirit.”
This past year many of you have shared that you’re officially wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope that you’re not so defeated that you’re now having to resort to “Dry January.”
Most of us are happy to have 2020 behind us. That said, I hope your new year is off to a joyful and productive start. Thankfully COVID-19 vaccines are on our horizons and we can all look forward to a new year that looks much different than the one we’ve left behind. I for one am looking forward to hugging friends and family and travelling again.
Live on this earth long enough and even a pessimist has to admit that we are limitless possibility. But why is it that some lucky few have possibilities that seem to know no bounds while others appear to be more limited in their dreams and achievements? It all starts with a simple thought.
While 2020 won’t go down as a favorite year, most of us credit our friends (and family) for helping us glide or stumble through it. That’s why one of my favorite quotes from Helen Keller is “My friends have made the story of my life.”
The next time you get your feelings hurt because an attorney called you on a mistake or the quality of your work product, instead of brooding, I suggest you invoke my Thought for Success “It’s not personal, it’s business.”
One of my favorite quotes by Paul Theroux is “I cannot make my days longer so I strive to make them better.” When I shared this with a friend she replied, in a deprecatory tone, “Your friend Paul obviously wrote this before the COVID-19 pandemic.”
*The opinions and statements made by Vickie Milazzo, the founder of Medical-Legal Consulting Institute, Inc. are based on her experiences and expertise, should not be applied beyond the specific context provided, and do not guaranty or project actual results. Vickie Milazzo is no longer involved in the operations or management of the business, but is involved as an independent education consultant.
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