Realizing the Power of Simple Meditations
On my desk at work, I have a ceramic jar with the word "options" boldly engraved on the front. I often meditate on this jar while confronting some problem in life. Ironically, the jar is painted in concentric rings of calming shades of blue. And I can never quite decide whether the colors of blue or the word "options" have the most profound effect on my meditations.
The phone rang during one of my contemplations with the jar. It was one of my graduate students telling me that she was planning to leave nursing. I was shocked. She was such an outstanding student and a fine clinician. Having learned over the years never to directly discourage nurses from this kind of thinking, I replied, "Sounds like you have given this some serious thought? What will you do?"
"I've decided to open a stained glass business. I'm very good at it and I think that I can make a go at it," she said. "I just hate where I am working. I can't do the kind of nursing that I really want to do. I have no time to spend with patients and fear that I am losing my love of practicing nursing." We talked a long time and I encouraged her to consider completing her education, while she still had tuition benefits. In the meantime, she could get started on her business plan so that her stained glass business might flourish. As we talked, I stared at the jar. "You do have options in nursing! Think about those also. Perhaps you need to find another place and position that fits your philosophy of practice. Try some simple meditations like clearing your mind or contemplating your most prized piece of stained glass, and perhaps you will stick with nursing. However, if you do decide to leave, I will be your first customer. I love stained glass-it does help us see things differently."
Over the next year I often thought of this student, especially during my meditations with the jar. I even searched the Web for her stained glass business. I wondered if we had lost another good nurse when the health care system could not afford such losses. In April 2002, I received a package from my former student. It contained a red and white stained glass star. With it came a note that said, "See you at graduation! I am still a nurse, and in a wonderful new position taking care of women experiencing breast cancer. I considered my options and searched for the right place for me and I found it! Oh, things are not always great, but I love practicing nursing and I always have stained glass."
Simple meditation is one of the most holistic and healing strategies to get us over the rough spots. Finding a quiet spot, clearing the mind, taking a few deep breaths, and focusing intently on a favorite object of beauty fused with meaning can clear a path, lighten the burden, put matters in perspective, and promote relaxation. In this hectic world of health care, simple meditations can go a long way in promoting self-care and enhancing patient care.