I do love my bling.
It doesn't have to be fancy, expensive stuff. But aside from my wedding ring, I very rarely wear the same set of jewelry two days in a row. I have them neatly organized in a case that hangs on my bathroom wall, with overflow in a drawer that contains it's own organizer. Each day, I move through the sets of jewelry one by one, ensuring that they each get equal time against my skin.
Geez. Sometimes even I am a bit disgusted with how OCD I am . That's just ridiculous, Stephanie.
But please don't ask me to change...
This morning, I threw caution to the wind and picked out two specific pieces of jewelry to wear. Both were silver based, and both had hearts on them, so I at least could keep the "matchy-matchy" beast that resides in my soul at bay.
These two pieces of jewelry were given to me by the units that I managed in a previous life. Each unit, unbeknownst to the other, presented me with a token to take with me and remember them by- something that I will cherish forever.
The necklace was from my cardiac intensive care unit- a silver chain, with gemstones in the heart-shaped pendant it bears. The bracelet was a gift from my cardiac step down unit and sports a round charm which dangles and catches the light- on one side it has my name engraved, with a heart engraved on the other.
I had a very important meeting today. One in which I felt the future of how nursing was going to be represented at my hospital would begin to be shaped. I had done research, taken notes, and was prepared to speak my mind- something that is not always easy to do, especially when what you are proposing means change.
Some may wear a power suit when they have an important meeting. I myself usually go for power shoes- nothing makes a group pay attention more than a 5'11" woman in 3-inch red patent leather heels. Maybe you had a lucky jersey or pair of socks when you played sports. I have a guy friend who swears he got "lucky" every time he wore a certain pair of underwear when he went out on the town. Others have rituals before their favorite sports team plays, or before they go to a casino.
As I got dressed this morning, I purposefully put on these two pieces of jewelry, like a knight placing their armor before going to battle, or a vampire slayer applying their necklace of garlic and holy water. I wanted the spirit of the past to be with me today, so that each time I saw the bracelet catch the light when I raised my hand to speak, I would be reminded of the group of people who helped me learn how to speak up for others and how important it is to do so. Every time I felt the weight of the pendant swing on my necklace, I was reminded of how they entrusted me with the awesome responsibility of being their leader, and the weight that this carries, even now when I am no longer with them.
Eight hours later, we concluded the meeting with some definite progress on how we envision nursing to lead themselves in the future. I am fortunate to have leaders there who make me feel empowered to speak my mind, ask questions, challenge ideas, and collaborate. I know that I probably annoyed or angered some people with my thoughts- but my past has taught me how to deal with that, and to know that I probably am doing my job right if that happens. I also hope that others who have been resistant or nervous about speaking their mind in the past see how having your voice heard (in a professional way, of course...) can be such a powerful thing. Maybe they will start to feel more confident to speak their minds as well. I sure hope so.
Tonight's picture represents Talismans, and having the courage to speak up for yourself and others. For where would we be in this world without people who had this courage? What if Martin Luther King had backed out of his "I Have a Dream" speech? What if Susan B. Anthony had just decided to go with the flow and not advocate for women's rights? What if Florence Nightingale hadn't challenged what was known and advocated for change to nursing practice? So tonight I thank each nurse that I have worked with and for who has empowered me to become a leader, in both formal and informal roles. I put my jewelry back in their assigned slots tonight, smiling as I did so, and thinking of how the past has a funny way of helping shape the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment