A story about acknowledging your truest self.
Sammy, the craft scissors, carried a lot of pride in his natural abilities. One day, he realized that he needed to take drastic action to protect and preserve those abilities. Will he be able to save himself?
Sammy always worked with excellence and stayed committed to the task at hand. Sometimes he would use his sharp blades to cut out intricate shapes for kids. And at other times, he would cut yarn to make crafts. His job made him very happy.
“I love being the handy, dandy scissors,” remarked Sammy one day to Evie the eraser. “It’s always so satisfying to be able to do what I’m good at!”
Evie agreed that doing work that you’re good at and that’s satisfying is the best way to work.
“You’re so right, Sammy. I feel the same when the kids realize they’ve marked on the walls with pencil, and they need to get it out before their mom and dad get home! Haha!”
Sammy’s moment of reflection with Evie was suddenly interrupted by one of the neighbor’s burly kids who came in screaming, “Quick! Grab those scissors!”
Sammy was getting ready to perform another job well, when he realized that the kid wanted to use him to cut through metal. He had handcuffed his younger brother to a chair and needed to get him out!
Sammy knew this wasn’t something he could handle. If the kid tried to use Sammy to cut metal, it would completely destroy him and render him incapable of doing the work he loved ever again.
“This is no good for me,” Sammy thought to himself. “I have to preserve my abilities – and my sanity!”
Sammy then strategically slid himself towards the back of the heavy antique oak desk and became wedged between the desk and the wall. The burly kid couldn’t reach him now.
With quick thinking and a long-term outlook, Sammy was able to protect himself, preserve his skills and add value to many appropriate projects in the future.
Moral: Honor yourself by being honest about what you can undertake.
Personal Reflection
Sammy knew how good he was at being a pair of craft scissors. He would dive headfirst into any craft project that came his way. He was proud of his abilities and accomplishments.
But more importantly, Sammy wanted to ensure that he honored himself by doing what he was good at and walking away from things that were too much to handle.
While he was filled with pride whenever he was able to do something great, he stayed away from overextending himself to his own peril.
Sammy personifies human nature, but in many cases, humans have a hard time knowing when to walk away. Saying no is oftentimes more of a blessing than saying yes and putting undue strain on oneself.
When contemplating how much is enough in your own job, consider its impact on your wellbeing.
Decide if the professional accomplishment is worth dulling your senses and making you unhappy. How much of you is left for other things when you burn yourself out with work? Achievement at the cost of personal happiness is a risky endeavor.
Take some time to assess how you feel in your job today. Are your shoulders tense and achy? Do you feel down in the dumps? Does the thought of opening your email give you knots in your stomach?
You can probably get it done but decide if what you are giving up is worth it.
Listen to yourself. You, more than anyone else, know what is right for you.
Self-Reflection Questions:
- What emotions do I feel when I think about my current work situation?
- How often am I able to utilize my strongest skills?
- Where do I believe my abilities can be most valuable?