Seen in 8/10/04 Medscape nursing, re: Highlights of the AWHONN
convention; good info for us too.
Improving the Quality of Your Journey
The closing session, by Marianne Neifert, MD,[19] Medical Consultant,
HealthONE Alliance Lactation Program and Clinical Professor of
Pediatrics, UCHSC, Parker, Colorado, provided an uplifting directive to
honor your values, take care of yourself, and keep your perspective.
Describing an all too familiar experience, Neifert spoke of trying to do
it all -- becoming a first-time mother as a "21-year-old medical student
with no maternity leave." She pointed out, "It is dangerous to live out
someone else's values." Each decision forces us to choose an alternate.
"Sometimes we need to say no to a perfectly good thing to say yes to our
burning desire."
Inviting participants to consider their life a journey, Neifert offered
the following insights to improve the quality of the journey:
Know how to balance priorities. Spend the most time with people and
activities that are most important to you.
Stay balanced. Take time to renew and refuel. The technology/knowledge
explosion has overexpanded our lives. Keep possessions and titles in
balance. When you take on a new endeavor, be sure to give one up.
Have a philosophy on aging. Look forward to each new year with excitement
at the possibilities. Honor the wisdom of aging. Retirement is a time to
give back to the community.
Life is like an EKG. There are peaks and valleys. Being able to choose
our own attitude is the ultimate freedom.
Cherish your relationships. Our anchors are in people, not in places or
things.
Humor helps to put things in perspective.
Take care of yourself. A good night's sleep fills you up. Appreciate
life's alternating rhythms of serving and being filled.

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