Starting February 15th, at the beginning of the Chinese Year of the TIGER, I am the new Lead at my office. And I am super excited about it.

Anytime you get a new job, you inherit someone else’s space. Their paper clips, pens, forms, rubber bands and miscellaneous items that are shoved to the back of the drawer become yours. After you leave a job, you too, leave behind those items in your old desk. Who ever gets to the back of the drawer to sort and clean out the useless items.

When we are born, all of our surroundings and our family, with all of its miscellaneous people, are inherited. The fixtures, like Uncle Jerry’s pipe smoking and Grampa’s overalls, are all there. There is so much to learn when you are young that you cope as best you can. You try to understand. Why is Mom frowning at you and will she stop and give you another cookie if you smile at her? There isn’t time in life to sort through all of the behaviors of your family. You don’t know enough about God or Love or Traditions to analyze and sort through them.

I have decided that when I move into my new desk this Chinese New Year, that I will keep the items I need. I will thoughtfully toss the useless ones. I will try to place in my life the things or people I really want to be there. And I will ask for what I need, because I am here for a purpose.