12:34 March 3

At home last night I mentioned that I've had a difficult week at work. I feel like my time has been wasted by others, and that I haven't been able to do the work I wanted to do. Allison and I discussed the nature of my work, inspired by a Parker Palmer idea she had shared earlier in the day. An excerpt: 

The tighter we cling to the norm of effectiveness the smaller the tasks we’ll take on, because they are the only ones that get short-term results… Care about being effective, of course, but care even more about being faithful … to your calling, and to the true needs of those entrusted to your care.

Our discussion made me think about why I had so decisively deemed this week "difficult."

That reminded me of one of my favorite Marcus Aurelius quotes: "Today I escaped all difficulty; or rather, I have cast out all difficulty, for difficulty is not external, but rooted in my judgments."

Today I am thankful for the power to cast out difficulty, and to remember mine is a job worth doing.