Well, I've been pondering writing this blog for a few weeks and I came to the conclusion just to do it. To re-cap from Change Part 1, I love nothing more than to change the furniture around in my house, paint the walls a new color, change the color of my hair, etc... But, big change...whew, that's a tough one for me. I like being in my safe little world where there is no upheaval, no drama, etc...
However, over the course of the last 2 years I have felt a need for change. I'm a people pleaser so, I tend to put the needs, wants and opinion of others above my own needs, wants and opinions. I don't think being a people pleaser is necessarily a bad thing, I mean we should want to please others, do for others, etc.. it certainly makes me happy to do all those things. But, being a people pleaser can also leave you wide open for others to take advantage of you.
In my personal life I'm very happy, I like to please my family but, I also get very frustrated with them over things like the house. I like to have a clean house and to them it just isn't important. What I see as a mess, they see as a little clutter. I want them to pitch in more and they are happy with me doing it all..haha! So, I've had to work on compromise like when I do manage to get their help I don't go back and re-clean what they did {at least not while they're looking} and I've stopped coming in from work and instantly start fussing that the house is not the way I left it. It's taken prayer for me to get here and I will still think to myself is it wrong that I'm making the compromise, I mean what is wrong with wanting a clean house? I work hard, shouldn't I come home to a spotless house if I want to? The answer is no it isn't wrong to want a clean house but, I also know that for the most part my house does stay fairly clean and organized and after all I don't live alone, I live with my husband and 2 teenage daughters. The biggest thing that came from my prayer over this is how I ALWAYS preach to my Preschool families how not to sweat the small stuff, enjoy this time of your life with your children and NEVER blink because if you do that time is gone. So, the house isn't perfectly squeaky clean, sure there's a few dishes in the sink but, I have 2 teenage daughters that share their day with me, communicate daily with me, snuggle on the couch with me. I can't think of anything more important than that.
Here's the other area I've needed alot of prayer over....my work life. I LOVE my job, there's nothing better to me than spending my days with a group of 3, 4 and 5 years old's. Sure there are some days when I think to myself there's gotta be something else I could be doing and about that time I will have a little one come up to me and say here Miss Shawnie and when I try and take what they are handing me I realize it's a booger off the tip of their finger..I mean come on life just doesn't get any better than that!!! Seriously though I love my job, it's what I was meant to do in life. But, there have been changes that I have been wanting to do for myself, the children, their families and just for the school in general. The Preschool has an awesome reputation and I want to continuously build on that. I want it to be more than "just a job" to myself and my staff. For a while now I have accommodated my staff by giving them what they wanted even if it didn't always work in the best interest of me or the school. I did this because I wanted to please them. The problem is I have seen the need for change and have been wanting to make those changes ...change for the better...change for the future of the Preschool, the children attending and changes in the best interest of the school. It has to be more than a job. Here's where it gets really hard because I knew not everyone shared my views on the change. Where do I draw the line on compromising my values, or lowering my expectations? Where do I start accommodating the needs that are in the best interest of the school, the children and the growth it is in great need of? Well I started with prayer and through it was reminded that every now and then we are in need of "pruning". Pruning can be a hard task, it can even be a painful task, BUT if we don't do some pruning we won't grow or our branches can even die off. So, I took the word that I received and I'm doing some pruning at the Preschool. Sure it was hard, and it was certainly painful but, from just the little bit of pruning I've done so far I have seen great growth, as well as a re-newed, spirit within myself and the Preschool. God is so good! I'm thankful for his patience, his word, his love, his encouragement, his grace and his peace.
However, over the course of the last 2 years I have felt a need for change. I'm a people pleaser so, I tend to put the needs, wants and opinion of others above my own needs, wants and opinions. I don't think being a people pleaser is necessarily a bad thing, I mean we should want to please others, do for others, etc.. it certainly makes me happy to do all those things. But, being a people pleaser can also leave you wide open for others to take advantage of you.
In my personal life I'm very happy, I like to please my family but, I also get very frustrated with them over things like the house. I like to have a clean house and to them it just isn't important. What I see as a mess, they see as a little clutter. I want them to pitch in more and they are happy with me doing it all..haha! So, I've had to work on compromise like when I do manage to get their help I don't go back and re-clean what they did {at least not while they're looking} and I've stopped coming in from work and instantly start fussing that the house is not the way I left it. It's taken prayer for me to get here and I will still think to myself is it wrong that I'm making the compromise, I mean what is wrong with wanting a clean house? I work hard, shouldn't I come home to a spotless house if I want to? The answer is no it isn't wrong to want a clean house but, I also know that for the most part my house does stay fairly clean and organized and after all I don't live alone, I live with my husband and 2 teenage daughters. The biggest thing that came from my prayer over this is how I ALWAYS preach to my Preschool families how not to sweat the small stuff, enjoy this time of your life with your children and NEVER blink because if you do that time is gone. So, the house isn't perfectly squeaky clean, sure there's a few dishes in the sink but, I have 2 teenage daughters that share their day with me, communicate daily with me, snuggle on the couch with me. I can't think of anything more important than that.
Here's the other area I've needed alot of prayer over....my work life. I LOVE my job, there's nothing better to me than spending my days with a group of 3, 4 and 5 years old's. Sure there are some days when I think to myself there's gotta be something else I could be doing and about that time I will have a little one come up to me and say here Miss Shawnie and when I try and take what they are handing me I realize it's a booger off the tip of their finger..I mean come on life just doesn't get any better than that!!! Seriously though I love my job, it's what I was meant to do in life. But, there have been changes that I have been wanting to do for myself, the children, their families and just for the school in general. The Preschool has an awesome reputation and I want to continuously build on that. I want it to be more than "just a job" to myself and my staff. For a while now I have accommodated my staff by giving them what they wanted even if it didn't always work in the best interest of me or the school. I did this because I wanted to please them. The problem is I have seen the need for change and have been wanting to make those changes ...change for the better...change for the future of the Preschool, the children attending and changes in the best interest of the school. It has to be more than a job. Here's where it gets really hard because I knew not everyone shared my views on the change. Where do I draw the line on compromising my values, or lowering my expectations? Where do I start accommodating the needs that are in the best interest of the school, the children and the growth it is in great need of? Well I started with prayer and through it was reminded that every now and then we are in need of "pruning". Pruning can be a hard task, it can even be a painful task, BUT if we don't do some pruning we won't grow or our branches can even die off. So, I took the word that I received and I'm doing some pruning at the Preschool. Sure it was hard, and it was certainly painful but, from just the little bit of pruning I've done so far I have seen great growth, as well as a re-newed, spirit within myself and the Preschool. God is so good! I'm thankful for his patience, his word, his love, his encouragement, his grace and his peace.
Thanks for sharing! I'm loving your blog.
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