I say no all the time- just not as often as I should. Interpreters have a tendency to say yes. We want the work. We want to be flexible. We want to satisfy the consumers' expectations. Sometimes in the midst of it all, we forget to take care of yourselves. Constantly operating in Energizer bunny mode can and will lead to burn out. It's one thing to know the limitations of one's interpreting skills; know the limitations of one's mind and body is a different story.
For me, it's easy to say no to an assignment if I do not feel qualified or if it's not my forte (i.e. medical and legal). Often I say yes too often, momentarily forgetting about my physical and mental limitations. We're often told that the interpreting profession is feast or famine, so we work as much as we can when we can. We must all live a balanced life in order to work more effectively. For me, I try to put my family first, even though I occasionally sacrifice time with my husband to work evenings. Last week, I turned down a job when I was qualified and available and I was proud of myself. I listened to my physical limitations.
I am at a major transitioning moment in my life. Now, I need to get motivated to take care of myself after sacrificing so much of my physical and mental well-being for far too long. On my to list?
1) Eat healthier- more fruits and veggies, less take-out and delievery
2) Get back into shape. I need to exercise more, do pilates for toning and relaxation, and lose the 10(ish) pounds that I gained this past year.
3) Give myself permission to have down time and relax. A vacation would be nice too.
And the irony of all of this? As I was contemplating the importance of self-care, I tweaked my neck on Sunday morning, aggravating a prior injury. Fortunately, for me, Monday was a Federal holiday and my other assignments this week have ended early or canceled with pay. For the moment, as I sit here with my ice pack, I am giving myself permission to relax and enjoy the time off. After all, it's Thursday afternoon and I was supposed to be working.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
So what now?
I just started this blog and already I am inexcusably behind. Sometimes life happens and you just have to go with it. Due to a series of events (personal and professional), I will be taking a leave of absence from Gallaudet for this upcoming school year. This feels like an enormous set back, yet I am feeling surprisingly calm about this recent development. Instantly, I felt a weight being lifted. There was too much on my plate and too much stress in my life. Now, I have the opportunity to step back and re-evaluate my personal and professional goals. But, in my heart, I firmly believe that everything happens for reason, even if I don't know the reason- yet.
The last few weeks have been eye opening for me. I was reminded of several life lessons and was prepared to write about them, however, I realize that it is one thing to pass on lessons learned and it is another thing to truly live them. Like the old adage says "it's easier to say than do." Sometimes, we learn the lesson the first time around, but often times we need to be reminded; then reminded again.
Life Lessons I need to be reminded of (and will be discussing in the coming weeks):
1) Own your work.
2) Take care of yourself- physically, emotionally, and mentally.
3) Remember the big picture.
4) Never stop learning.
Most importantly, through all of this, I am reminded how bless I am to be surrounded by wonderful family, friends, and colleagues. I have an amazing, loving husband; a supportive family; and great friends. Surround yourself with encouraging, supportive people, instead of negativity. Have people in your life who will meet up at nine o'clock that night because you need to talk or send you a text message wishing you a "Happy Tuesday." Those are the people you want as your friend and colleague.
Today's lesson? Surround yourself with people who build you up- not knock you down.
And having a beagle to snuggle up with doesn't hurt either...
The last few weeks have been eye opening for me. I was reminded of several life lessons and was prepared to write about them, however, I realize that it is one thing to pass on lessons learned and it is another thing to truly live them. Like the old adage says "it's easier to say than do." Sometimes, we learn the lesson the first time around, but often times we need to be reminded; then reminded again.
Life Lessons I need to be reminded of (and will be discussing in the coming weeks):
1) Own your work.
2) Take care of yourself- physically, emotionally, and mentally.
3) Remember the big picture.
4) Never stop learning.
Most importantly, through all of this, I am reminded how bless I am to be surrounded by wonderful family, friends, and colleagues. I have an amazing, loving husband; a supportive family; and great friends. Surround yourself with encouraging, supportive people, instead of negativity. Have people in your life who will meet up at nine o'clock that night because you need to talk or send you a text message wishing you a "Happy Tuesday." Those are the people you want as your friend and colleague.
Today's lesson? Surround yourself with people who build you up- not knock you down.
And having a beagle to snuggle up with doesn't hurt either...
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Don't let the horror stories scare you
We've all heard the stories. A community interpreter faints at a doctors appointment. A VRS interpreter has a 911 call on her first day, or worse, her first call. An educational interpreter walks into the high school and is assigned to Latin VI. Okay, so the last one I made up, but the first two really happened, just not to me. A friend of a colleague had to interpret a 911 call on her first day (or maybe it was a friend of a friend). Another colleague almost fainted while interpreting a doctor's appointment. Interpreters are almost infamous for their stories from the trenches, but I'll let you in on a little secret...
At least 98% of the time, all these scary things that we hear about during our interpreting classes and internships, don't happen! But why do these urban legends persist in our profession? I suspect that many of the storytellers had good intentions- "Let me tell you what happened to me a while ago, but will probably never happen to you so you'll feel better about interpreting." And in all honesty, I am probably guilty too. I heard stories and was scared by them. Once I had a story or two, I proceeded to share my experiences as well. The thing is that all interpreters have a story or two, but these stories are not daily occurrences. In the course of my work, I am constantly going to new places, meeting new people, and learning new things. Most of my work blurs together and fade into distant memories. As a result, a handful assignments stand-out. Some of them are memorable- in a good way, such as a particularly engaging presenter or a fabulous team. On one hand, I can count the experiences that stand-out in a not-so-good way. When I have a bad day, instead of dwelling on the negative, I try to remember all of the good days and why I love my job.
There will be bad days, difficult consumers, annoying teams, and 'CHA' vocabulary that you don't know. But guess what? The good experiences exponentially outnumber the bad ones. Keep your chin up and don't let the horror stories scare you.
At least 98% of the time, all these scary things that we hear about during our interpreting classes and internships, don't happen! But why do these urban legends persist in our profession? I suspect that many of the storytellers had good intentions- "Let me tell you what happened to me a while ago, but will probably never happen to you so you'll feel better about interpreting." And in all honesty, I am probably guilty too. I heard stories and was scared by them. Once I had a story or two, I proceeded to share my experiences as well. The thing is that all interpreters have a story or two, but these stories are not daily occurrences. In the course of my work, I am constantly going to new places, meeting new people, and learning new things. Most of my work blurs together and fade into distant memories. As a result, a handful assignments stand-out. Some of them are memorable- in a good way, such as a particularly engaging presenter or a fabulous team. On one hand, I can count the experiences that stand-out in a not-so-good way. When I have a bad day, instead of dwelling on the negative, I try to remember all of the good days and why I love my job.
There will be bad days, difficult consumers, annoying teams, and 'CHA' vocabulary that you don't know. But guess what? The good experiences exponentially outnumber the bad ones. Keep your chin up and don't let the horror stories scare you.
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