"This is part of the process, STAY THE COURSE!" - Brené Brown, Unlocking Us podcast, September 2, 2020

You've now finished week 2; how are you doing?  Now that the novelty of being on campus has worn off, what are you thinking? "I've bitten off more than I can chew?  This is harder than I thought it would be?  I wonder if I've chosen the wrong major?"  It's okay.  It's week 2, that's what you're supposed to be feeling!

Truthfully, I've been thinking the same thing.  I've just finished my 2nd week of training in a new department, as part of Purdue's talent-share program, and I'm thinking, "I'm never going to get this stuff.  It's never going to make sense to me!  Why did I agree to do this?"  But I have the advantage of knowing that this feeling won't last.

I worked in a factory for 8 years while getting my degree.  Every time I was put on a new line, I would feel stressed.  I didn't want to be the person to slow down the line.  Money was earned by how many pieces you made and adding a new person to an established line was AGGRAVATING for everyone!  But eventually I started to recognize a pattern.  The first two weeks would always be hard, sometimes with tears, but then, things would click.  I wouldn't be tripping over my feet as often, my hands would know the routine of putting together the product, I would know my co-workers better and some of them would even like me.  And then, it would be okay.  It would get easier from there.

It's called the middle, and that's where we are right now.

Brené Brown talks about this in her Unlocking Us podcast - Brené on Day 2.  She calls it day 2, but the concept is the same. It doesn't matter how long it lasts.  It's the middle part.  It's the part where you're not sure about what you're doing.  You might think something is wrong with you because you're not getting it.  It's a struggle.  You're tired.  It's hard.  You want to quit.  She says that right now, we are in day 2 of the pandemic.  We're in the middle.  It's not a novelty anymore and we can't see an end in sight.  She says, "The middle is messy, but it's also where all the magic happens!  I love this idea.  She references Joseph Campbell and the Hero's Journey.  The middle is where you learn and grow and transform.  

We're going to get through this.  Whether it's a class, the pandemic, a broken heart.  Remember this pattern, so you can identify it the next time it pops up in your life.  In the meantime, take care of yourself.  Get some fresh air.  Reach out to friends.  Know that this is part of the process.  And as always, if you need to, write to me at rhaan@purdue.edu

Written by Rhonda Haan

Photo Credit:  Prateek Katyal, Unsplash