But All You Need is Faith...

...and hope will bring a brighter day. 
And every time you love
Let it lift someone else up." - Mae 

The above quote is from a song by one of my favorite bands, Mae.  It sums up something I've been thinking about a lot - faith.  Yes, faith is something we hear about a lot in a religious context, but it was a theme in the Presidential Inauguration and it has been on my mind in terms of faith in myself.  In most of my posts, I have been focused on reflecting on my specific situation as a music teacher in hopes of reaching out to others in my position or people who are embarking on a life as a music teacher.  In this post, the theme of faith is something that we all as humans can look to to help improve our outlook (robots/computers/non-humans need not continue reading).

If you went to college at any point and for any amount of time, realize that you were accepted because that institution had faith that you would continue the hard work you put in during high school.  If you were ever hired for a job, realize that you were hired because the employer saw something special in you and had faith that you would be able to fulfill the duties of the position.  When you were a child, the person that potty trained you believed that you would remember how to use indoor plumbing and had faith you would take this next step to growing up. Okay, that last one wasn't the best example, so let's go back to the second point - that you were hired because the employer saw something special in you and had faith you would be able to fulfill the duties of the position. 

It's hard when you aren't in your dream job - or maybe not in anything close to the dream job - to feel great about your work performance.  When any kind of doubt kicks in because of deadlines or because of trying to live up to the expectations of the position, it can bring down not only your mood but bring down those you work with.  If you continue to think about keeping the faith, treating the job as though you love it (even though you really might not!) and love the people you work with, it makes life a lot more enjoyable.  Not many people stay in one job forever so don't look at each day with dread but with faith that each and every work experience will add to either a) your hilarious "you can't make this stuff up" stories b) the thickness of your skin or c) the chances you'll get that job you really want in the future.  Choose your own adventure, my friends. But remember to keep the faith that you do have skills, that you will get a great job down the line, and maybe what looks bleak today will turn out to be great in the end! 

I hope that I remember the wise words of this post later...