Sunday, March 15, 2015

Acknowledging the Gifts of Others

In my continued attempt to embody a state of mindfulness at work, I am beginning to reflect upon those gifts which I have received from others. Not the coffee cards or Christmas chocolates, but those unseen gifts from my co-workers. Irving Yalom speaks of the gifts which therapists receive from their clients, but what about those gifts we receive from others in our lives? I can truly say that I have learned a great deal from my clients about empathy, patience, forgiveness, and hope, which has contributed a great deal to the manner in which I currently live my life. When reflecting upon this aspect of gifts in relation to co-workers, I found it far more difficult to recognize those gifts which I have received. Possibly, a definition of a “gift” may help; a gift is something we receive from others, whether physical, emotional, etc. that adds to our current life. What do my co-workers add to my life? They add laughter, joy, companionship, and passion; passion for the work that we do on a daily basis. Passion for helping the exceptional kids in our school. As I reflected more upon this gift, I began to consider how this could be generalized to other relationships in my life.
                  Accepting these gifts from others in a gracious manner adds not only to our own life satisfaction, but adds life to those relationships which we may find mundane on a daily basis. It is simple enough to assume that our work relationships are something we must endure from 9-5, but how different would our work lives be if we brought and received gifts from this relationship? I am thankful for the gift of passion which I have received from my co-workers. I encourage all of you to reflect upon those gifts which you receive from those in your life!


Submitted by Annelie Nilsson, November, 2014
Graduate Intern at Shanti Counselling Centre 

1 comment:

mind.it said...

Thanks for the valuable information and insights you have so provided here... Peggy Bolcoa

 

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