Warning: This is not a sugary post. Sometimes work, especially in the winter, can make you feel like you just sat through an emotional punching bag, where you are the bag in the situation. My job can at times be very emotional and personal, but even if you’re not in that career situation, let’s be honest: adult working life can be hard.

Shoshanna: I just don’t understand why nobody tells you how bad its gonna be in the real world.

Marnie: Yeah they do. It’s pretty much all they tell you.

Thank you, Girls.

I recently sat through a seminar in which a panel was sharing life lessons they have learned working with terminally ill pediatric patients. While all the panelists were touching, one of them was a doctor with over 25 years of experience behind him. As he was sharing his story, he spoke about taking time to slow down, and listen. This is applicable to all of our lives, no matter the circumstance. It’s so easy to get caught up in the exhaustiveness of the everyday, especially us Americans who don’t even use all of our vacation days.  But this doctor said a line that stuck out to me so much I wrote it down on the spot. He said, “What I’ve learned in working with the gravely ill, and having lost a child myself, is to make short lists and make amends quickly.”  Make short lists. Make amends quickly. I let my to-do list rule my life sometimes. I get caught up in planning events, sometimes forgetting the reasons the events are happening in the first place. I’m stubborn and speak my mind too quickly. But I am so grateful to have been in the audience today, to have a job, and slew of other things. Be grateful for the goodness in your life; it’s okay to slow down.  Make short lists and make amends quickly.

#watchusroam