Just Call Me Storm

Photo by Stock.xchng photographer duchessa (Gabriella Fabbri)

If you have ever watched American Gladiators, either in this decade or 20 years ago, you'll recall that they have really cool, tough-sounding names. I've decided I should probably take the name "Storm". But it's not because I'm tough.

You see, the past two nights I have not slept well. My mind has woken me up at 2:30 on Thursday morning, and 2:00 this morning. This is not good when you can't seem to get back to sleep and you have to be up at 5:45 to get ready for work and be there at 7:30 a.m. So what was keeping me awake? Work. It's only my first week and already I'm waking up in the middle of the night fretting and worrying. Now, that is bad. And it's not the job. Sure, the printing industry can't get downright harried on a regular basis, but this week has NOT been stressful at all for me. This morning I felt that old familiar tightening of the shoulders and churning of the stomach, even as I was leaving the house for my commute. And as I got into the car, this still small voice whispered into my soul: "Karla, you're creating your own storm." Whoa! I'm not someone that has ever heard an audible voice of God, but I know when He is speaking to my spirit. This is one of those times.

I've been creating stress for myself! Already! My perfectionist tendencies kept saying I should know all the stuff already, when there is no logical or even fathomable way I could ever know the details of a company I've never worked at before! The fundamentals of my job I know, as I've worked in the printing industry before, but each company is different in how they do things, and the only way to learn it is to experience it. So why did I think I could simply "know" all of it immediately? Silliness!

Thankfully, I listened to that voice. I know what I've been doing and I can try to stop creating my own stress. I tend to get myself worked up easily, and I want to learn to manage my stress better. Even better, I want to stop creating stress for myself when no outside influences are producing it for me.

The week ended very nicely, with both the President and the Vice-President whom I work with directly, telling me how thrilled they are to have me as part of the team and how they feel hiring me was the perfect decision. Talk about a confidence booster!

I've missed reading all of your wonderful blogs and hope to catch up on some of my favorites this weekend, but that may prove difficult. The in-laws are popping in for a visit tomorrow. I was supposed to go to a gardening class at the home of a friend from church but will have to cancel that. Sadly, I was the one that came up with the idea of the class. I feel a little bad about that, but whatcha gonna do? To me, family is more important most of the time and I can learn to garden any old time. I won't be sleeping in tomorrow, as I've been given a request for a breakfast of donuts from a store that's about 12 miles from here. That's okay, I'll have Sunday afternoon to catch up on my sleep. And besides, who can say no to donuts on a Saturday morning?

Well, I better go "reboot" my laundry and wash the dishes before I sweep the kitchen floor. Hope you all are doing well! I appreciate all of the good luck, the well-wishes and the prayers coming my way. You all are so wonderful!