Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Those people are acting crazy! Good grief! Pause and breathe. They are good, smart people. Why would they act that way? Think.

Just recently it happened again. A group of good, smart people were acting crazy in some unexplainable manner. They completely misread what people in my group had written. How could THEY do such to US? They need to all be fired or experience some punishment.

Okay, vented the ventilating angst.

Now stop, breathe, think, ponder.

Those are good, smart people. My group wants to work with them. We want US and THEM to be ALL OF US. Yet, they did…

Again, stop, breathe, think, ponder. Why would they act the way they are acting? What situation pushes them to such? And, what can I do differently?

Stop the ego stuff. What can I do differently? I am the only person in the situation I can control. Yes, I can attempt to influence others, but that is influence not control and that is an attempt, not a certainty. Change is my responsibility, and I control my response.

Yeah, but, yeah but, yeah but… Enough of that.

THEY acted in some way because THEY were in THEIR situation. I am in my situation. Seek to understand their situation. Seek to understand my situation. Seek to react well. We can do better.