Day 4

It is the fourth day of my vacation. I have tackled the craft/junk room in the back of my home and am currently in the middle of sorting, trashing, and donating materials and junk that I have had for many years. In addition, I am trying to make that space more functional.

I guess, in a way, I am using this break to do the same thing. I am throwing out my therapeutic "junk" and am making myself more functional as a therapist. I am taking out my attitudes, skills, opinions, and questions, dusting them off, and reorganizing them.

Attitude reorganization tasks:
  1. "I can fix everything." There is no way that this can happen. There are things that are not my responsibility. I have to take responsibility for only the things that I can change and let the rest go.
  2. "I should be..." The problem with this one is my attitude towards life. I am a perfectionist who strives to do the "best" in everything. I often judge myself harshly and have a difficult time just relaxing and allowing myself to be at rest.
  3. "Music is solely my domain." I find this attitude easy to reorganize since I do not believe that music therapists "own" music. I feel that music can be used to elicit responses by everyone. If an occupational therapist sings to engage a client's interest in completing tasks, why would that be wrong? I use musical instruments to address issues with fine motor control.
New attitudes:
  1. I will take care of what I can. The only things that I can change are those things that are part of me. I am not the counselor, therapist, or mother of my co-workers. They are not my responsibility.
  2. I will do what I can when I can.
  3. I will support music use by people who are not music therapists. I will encourage music as a medium, explaining the difference between music therapy and the use of music, but supporting the use of music in other areas and locations.
Off to rearrange the craft room some more.

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