Warm and Fuzzies

It's official. My job and I have been together for 6 months now! SIX MONTHS! I seriously cannot believe how fast time has gone! It's been quite the experience so far. No matter what the profession, starting a new job can be very intimidating. And when I think back to my first few days and weeks on the job, it amazes me how far I've come since then. I learn more every single day, and I feel extremely fortunate to be in a place that is helping me grow SO much, both as a person and a professional. :):)

On that note, I wanted to share a little something fun. When I worked in the Campus Climate office at UW-La Crosse, one of my supervisors gave me a really neat idea. We were talking about having bad days at work (we must've been having one or something), and she told me what she does to cheer herself up in those circumstances. She keeps a special folder in her email inbox called "Warm and Fuzzies." In that folder, she keeps all the positive email messages she's received from students, fellow staff members, etc. That way, when she's feeling down, she can look at those messages and be reminded of all the good things she's done. I loved that idea, but was never sure if I'd get to a point when I'd have items to put IN the folder. Lo and behold, I sure do! One of my favorites, which just so happened to occur recently, was from a student that I'd helped with an email message that she wanted to send to a potential employer. After emailing her some suggestions, she responded with, "Thanks so much, Renee! I really appreciate all the hard work that you do for this school. Big fan! THANKS AGAIN!! :)" Seriously, how does that NOT make you feel good?! On top of that, when I showed that message to Duane (my boss), he said, "Yes, these messages and this type of feedback is great to receive. It sure can help make ones day brighter! :-) And . . . good compliments to you for the great contributions you are already making at MIAD." I tell ya what, this "Warm and Fuzzies" concept sure does make me feel awesome about where I'm at in my job right now!! So, here's to many more happy months with me and my job!