Humor Your Way Through Challenges

Life is too important to be taken seriously. —Oscar Wide

The first time I read this quote, it came at time in my career when I was burning out. I was working too many hours, having no fun, and basically ate, slept, and lived work. My job as a school psychologist consumed me and I was ineffective in advocating for the students and their families. It seemed that everything was overwhelming–it was difficult to even get out of bed in the morning. I knew I had to do something or I would crash and burn.

It was at that point in my career that I was thirsty for creative and fun outlets. It wasn’t until someone at work, who was equally as overwhelmed, came up with a silly activity. It got all of us laughing and it seemed that the laughing paid off. The meeting that afternoon went extremely well. I felt that I really advocated for the student and her family. Everyone left the meeting feeling that good work had been done. The child’s needs were met and the family members were allies not adversaries.

Handle challenges with a sense of humor and make the experience energize you not burn you out.

Challenges Come in Many Different Packages

The dictionary defines the noun “challenge” as:

1. A call to engage in a contest, fight, or competition: a challenge to a duel.
2. An act or statement of defiance; a call to confrontation: a challenge to the government’s authority.
3. A demand for explanation or justification; a calling into question: a challenge to a theory.
4. A sentry’s call to an unknown party for proper identification.
5. A test of one’s abilities or resources in a demanding but stimulating undertaking: a career that offers a challenge.
6. A claim that a vote is invalid or that a voter is unqualified.

Or as a verb “to challenge” is:

1. To call to engage in a contest, fight, or competition: challenged me to a game of chess.
2. To invite with defiance; dare: challenged him to contradict her.
3. To take exception to; call into question; dispute: a book that challenges established beliefs.
4. To order to halt and be identified, as by a sentry.
5. Law To take formal objection to (a prospective juror).
6. To question the qualifications of (a voter) or validity of (a vote).
7. To have due claim to; call for: events that challenge our attention.
8. To summon to action, effort, or use; stimulate: a problem that challenges the imagination.

Whether your challenge is a test of your strength, a contest, or a physical or psychological disability, learning ways to master any challenge is what this blog is about. In the upcoming entries you can look forward to learning new strategies for mastery. Keep checking back here to learn more.