I've been having a rough few weeks at work. I've been finding myself drained, exhausted before starting my shift and so easily irritated. I've long prided myself for my patience, but it has sadly been lacking lately. Very lacking.

Two minutes into stepping into work and already I find myself annoyed. A minor incident adds fuel to the fire. I continue to rile myself up. On breaks and during report, when we used to laugh and joke, my colleagues and I complain about endless, minuscule things.

I've noticed the change in my mood. I've been wanting to change. I knew that I needed to rest. To take a deep breath and remind myself to be grateful. But that's no easy feat when you face burnout.

I'd drive home from work and suddenly feel sadness, because the girl I knew to be optimistic was more often pessimistic. The girl who preached the art of spreading positivity, was dripping with negativity.

Work was transforming me into someone I didn't want to be... Or more, I was letting negative emotions at work transform me into a different version of myself. A resentful version of myself. An ungrateful version of myself.

A Moment of Clarity

Though I was working on correcting my attitude, my first breath of relief came with a special moment shared with a resident.

I was nearing the end of my shift, walking swiftly to complete a task that I don't even recall, when I spotted a resident standing alone in the lounge. I said "Hello," as I usually do, almost walking by without a second thought.

The soft smile on her lips, and glowing sun on her skin when she greeted me, made me pause. She looked so peaceful, and inner peace was something I had been lacking. I was compelled to take a pause. She nudged her head towards the window, sparkling eyes focused on the setting sun.

We stood there in the dying light, watching the sun set behind the rows of trees. It was a picture perfect moment. We talked about how beautiful the scene could be portrayed in a painting on a wall.

She said, "This is Mother Earth's gift to us."

She said, "Not enough people get to appreciate this gift. Most people walk right by without ever seeing this beautiful moment."

She was right.

I had almost walked right by it too.

We stood there for five minutes at most, but it changed my mood instantaneously. I took a full breath. I released the tension in my shoulders. I remembered what I was working for.

She reminded me of everything I ought to be grateful for. She reminded me of the importance of enjoying the simplest things in life.

The next day, as I recalled the memory with a grin on my face, it hit me like a truck that that was the first sunset I had ever truly watched. Something simple that I had never previously taken the time to witness. Something I had only taken time for because of another's person's nudge.

Life get's busy.

We get lost in the chase of success.

Take a moment to ground yourself.

Even in the simplest act of watching the sun set.

Take the time to find inner peace.