For my second blog in two weeks, I was really struggling to find an experience that I did not touch on the week before this. As I was reflecting on my summer, already at the halfway point of this experience with Jacob’s Ladder and the CAPS Fellowship, I was thinking about what is a lesson I have learned.

I feel that the biggest takeaway I have had is how much better of an experience is gained when you simply are present in the moment. In our world today, there are a million things that can distract you when you are bored or to pass the time. When I first started at Jacob’s Ladder, I often found my
mind wandering or thinking about how much time till lunch, or when I get to go home. It
was not that I was not enjoying the work, I was just distracted. I was really struggling
with this when I thought back to the key part of the CAPS Fellowship, reflection.

As I was reflecting on my first couple days, I knew I needed to figure out a way to be less distracted. I decided no matter what, I was gonna just throw myself at all the work I could possibly do and really focus. By week 2, I felt I was already improving. I noticed when I was doing administrational paperwork and doing therapy sessions with the patients at Jacob’s Ladder. I realized if I just focus on fully immersing myself in the work, time flies quickly and you end up enjoying the work even more.

This focus on being in the moment became key when we had a big deadline this past week for an important grant for our company. The deadline for the grant writing that myself, and another one of
the interns had to do, got moved up and we were in a time crunch. I felt stressed at first, but then I realized with what I had been practicing, it would be okay. By using the reflective portion of CAPS and just the need to improve, Natalie and I were able to get the grant done in plenty of time and we submitted it the next day.

CAPS has really improved my work habits and just understanding of myself through reflection, and how important being in the moment is.

• Colin Graves, Jacob’s Ladder Pediatric Rehab