What You Put In...

You’ve probably heard the saying, “What goes in, comes out.”

Eat junk food day after day and your body will show it.

Swear around a small child and the child will repeat what they’ve heard.

Fill a mind with images of violence and the result will be aggressive behavior.

Read or watch porn and you’ll have a difficult time being satisfied with real intimacy.

The opposite can also be true…

For those of you who read my blog on a regular basis, you know that I started a new job two months ago. It’s been a challenge to learn something so different from what I did previously. The work can be complicated and mentally challenging. Day after day, I arrived home feeling exhausted.

But, I turned the corner this past week…

I finally became comfortable with my surroundings and more confident in what I'm doing. I actually began to enjoy the work, itself. And…I didn’t arrive home as exhausted as I had previous weeks.

And the interesting thing is…I think a big part of that change was due to listening to music while at the job.

In our department, most people plug themselves into personal music through the computer – either to a radio station or CDs. I thought it would be distracting. My job involves solving problems and I need to concentrate on what’s showing up on the computer screen. As a musician, I tune into words and what’s happening instrumentally when music plays around me.

But, someone convinced me to give it a try and I invested in a good set of earphones. I was amazed. It actually helped my ability to focus on the tasks I needed to perform.

I brought in CDs and listened to contemporary Christian music all day. I’m convinced that the quiet, subtle - but spiritual messages - ministered to me all day long. What filled my mind and spirit throughout the day had a positive influence on my energy and outlook throughout the week.

We can influence how we react to stress, challenges, or life in general.

For someone like me who likes to be in control…that’s pretty cool.

Dawn