words that will never fail you

I have a raggedy little piece of paper someone gave me years ago.  A fellow nurse who had a serene spirit, and was a calming influence on nights that seemed out of control. 

I was working a full time job, a part time job, and also going to school full time to earn my baccalaureate in nursing.  My part time job was on a psychiatric unit and I loved it but I was also stressed much of the time and stretched pretty thin. That is where I met this nurse.  She always had a smile on her face and was always calm in the face of any storm.

One night she told me that she carried a small piece of paper with her.  When she began to feel stress or pressured or in a mood that she knew was not conducive to patient care, she would take out this piece of paper and look at it and it would help her to refocus and regroup her thoughts and mood.

Her name was Joy.  She brought joy into my life and taught me many things.  We had many interesting discussions and I won't ever forget her. 

I found this paper when I was going through my file cabinets and decided I would share it.  I carried it in my wallet for years.  Just 17 simple words that carry a lot of positive power.  And here it is:

I think I will put it back where it belongs...in my wallet.