Begin, again.
Sour, preachy, pedantic. I've been each of these more than once in my life. Yesterday I was all three at the same time for over an hour in the presence of several people I hardly know, while ostensibly discussing a book. When you behave badly, how good are you at diagnosing what triggered you? What strategies do you use to prevent getting triggered in the first place?
Ironically, I began joining book clubs in 2010 to work on...
* listening more than speaking
* remaining open and inquisitive
* improving my questioning skills
Begin, again.
Let me guess. You're wondering where the guy is with the white collar, right? But I'm wondering about the last time you were as big a jackass as I was yesterday and what triggered you. If you join me in my public confession booth, I'll come clean with what triggered me and you can give me my penance.
About Me
- Pat Barton
- My most recent single release - "My True North" - is now available on Bandcamp. Open my profile and click on "audio clip".
The last time I was a jackass: Two weeks ago I threw a hissy fit in a hotel because I did not get a meeting room that I wanted for my corporate group. I walked up to the conference concierge on duty -- a young man of 25 perhaps who was new to the position -- and just let him have it with both barrels. Angry, finger wagging, narrowed eyes. Mind you, this young man had NOTHING to do with assigning this room, he just happened to be in my line of sight. He looked scared and kept apologizing although he had nothing to apologize for. I was an utter jackass over not getting 'my way.' Can I begin again too?
ReplyDeleteAll of us can begin again. I first heard a yoga instructor at Kriplau use these words to remind the group that practicing forgiveness must include, at times, forgiving ourselves (kind of biblical, right?) I've used her mantra ever since when I behave badly. The trick is to behave badly less frequently, not use the words as an excuse to continue behaving badly. Simple, not easy. Thanks for your honest comment.
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