With new jobs, new locations, career shifts, and expanding responsibilities, my far-flung family had a wonderful Labor Day weekend reunion. Although we were grateful to take a break from our labors, we talked about the challenges of too much work, not enough work, too much oversight, not enough oversight, and of that age old problem of being responsible for work outside your control.

As we shared more and more of our war story work experiences, someone asked, “Does anyone ever like their first job?”

We all laughed and nodded in acknowledgment at the nerve of truth the question struck.

Back at home, while resting up after the vacation (yes, I do that—do you?), I found this quote that gave me a bit of inspiration.

Labor not as one who is wretched, nor yet as one who would be pitied or admired: but direct your will to one thing only, to put yourself in motion and to check yourself at all times.
–Marcus Aurelius

What a great reset on an appropriate approach to work!

In short, don’t gripe. Don’t seek pity or admiration as you work. Focus on moving forward while staying aware of who you are as you encounter work’s inevitable challenges.

Granted, we need to “feel the feeling” and vent our frustrations when we find the right time and place to do so. But we need to get it out, get over it, and get on with moving forward if we want to learn and grow.

We may not be able to control everything in our environment; however, we can always be mindful of who we are and how we affect others.

We can be encouraging of new ideas or we can be dismissive.
We can radiate superiority or we can show a willingness to learn.
We can discount feedback or take it to heart.

Easy to say and yet so hard to do! Then again, they call it “work” for a reason, right?

So, we’ve had our Labor Day respite. Now it’s back to work or the “grind” as my son used to describe his wrestling days. It’s time to keep moving, learning, and growing.

“Put yourself in motion and to check yourself at all times.”

This will be my motto as I strive to finish strong this year. How about you? What renews your approach to work when you are struggling or feeling frustrated? Tell me about it. I’d love to know.

P.S. A few updates to share:

• Madison’s transition to her day program and residential program continues to go well. She had a great Labor Day weekend and enjoyed a cookout with her new friends! Thanks for your steadfast thoughts and prayers.
• 44 reviews on Amazon.com. Thank you so much! Please keep them coming—still so important for the life of my book.
• Writer’s Digest published my piece on, Staying Positive While Writing About Death and Tragedy. Read, enjoy, and share if you like it!
• And for the planners in the group, I’ll be at the Baltimore Book Festival on Sunday, September 24th. Come see me AFTER you participate in Pathfinders for Autism’s Fun Run.