Compassion makes up for many flaws

I pray every day before I go to work that I do not join the complainers, that I will not write or say anything that can be used against me, and that I will do the best by myself and my patients. I pray that I'm compassionate, and others are compassionate to me. Help me to have discretion.

Yet, admittedly, there are days I have to bite my tongue. These are the days of which the Lord challenges me. Last Tuesday was one such day at work, and today was one such day in the blogosphere.

On Tuesday I worked amid the chronic complainers, and it was a challenge to remain above them, to keep my mouth shut and ears closed. Likewise, I was swamped, and a fellow co-worker was unwilling to be compassionate toward me. Yet I trudged forward and did all the work myself, and I did it with a smile.

We RTs are capable of accomplishing a lot in a short amount of time. Yet there are times we need help. There are times, for whatever reason, we become overwhelmed with procedures and need a helping hand. Usually we handle it on our own, yet at times we seek help.

While we RTs work well together as a team, occasionally one of us is not compassionate. The following are not good excuses to not be compassionate toward a co-worker

1. I'm talking on the phone, yet I say, "I'm sorry, but I have treatments do
2. I'm selling Avon to a co-worker, yet I say, "I'm sorry, but I have treatments do
3. I waited to the end of my shift to chart, and I say, "I'm sorry, but I have charting to do
4. I'm burned out. I can't help

Compassion is going the extra distance to help a coworker. Yet compassion is also knowing when there is not help, and trudging forward and with a smile, making the best of it.

This morning I was contacted by a lawyer to remove a post because he claimed I violated copy write laws. I did not violate any laws, as I provided only a snippet of what was in the book, and also provided proper attribution.

Yet as a compassionate person, I deleted the post. I did not take this action because I was wrong, but because it's not worth the battle. Or, as the old idiom states: Discretion is the better part of valor.

Or, as the proverb goes, " It is good to be brave, but it is also good to be careful.; If you are careful, you will not get into situations that require you to be brave.

Thus, even if you know you are right, sometimes it's best just to walk away, to delete the post, or to keep your mouth shut. In this way, you take the high road, which, according to American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition: "The most positive, diplomatic, or ethical course."

Still, it's not always easy taking the high road. It's not always easy being compassionate, especially when outside the patent's room you are feeling overwhelmed. It's hard to turn off your gloomy mood as soon as you walk in to the patent's room.

Therefore, it's better to never let yourself get gloomy. It's best not to let people or situations beyond your control drag you down. It's better to stay on the high road.

It's better to have faith and hope. It's better to be optimistic. It's better to smile. It's better all the way around. It's better to pray.

To help keep myself on this higher ground despite procedures I disagree with and obstacles in the way of my ability to communicate, I am going to write only about uplifting and compassionate things on my blog this weekend.

Hence, the Frea Wit and Wisdom of the week: "Compassion makes up for many flaws."