Today I had coffee with an acquaintance who frequents the same place, and she began ranting about how people are all into themselves and unaware of what is going on around them, etc. Sure you’ve heard this type of talk before.
It set me thinking, how readily we can be aware of what’s wrong, but what do we do about it? Bringing change to oneself or anyone seems to me, to require an awareness that change is necessary, a reflection on what may have brought us to this stage, and then the desire to do the work to effect the change.
On a national scale, few of us are in a position to do this, but on a daily scale, in our own lives, every day is an opportunity to work towards the greater good.
When I started caring for my stepmother, I met a person who had, over the years, taken on an adversary position against all comers, and in effect had alienated most friends from her Bridge and sports days. One particular day she was being downright mean to a person on the telephone, as she had an issue with a bill that was not resolved in her mind. She was sharp, harsh, and even mean to the other person. When she came off the phone she was gleeful and said, did you hear how I told her what’s what?
In response, I asked her did you solve the issue? Will it be resolved? The answer on both accounts was a no. “So your sole joy was to make that person‘s day worse for having talked to you”. Silence.
For some months, I repeated the insight with the result that she began to choose to banter with people, ask for help, and joke if she could thus ultimately getting results and the smile was heartfelt not maliciously triumphant, when she finished.
She had been made aware, she saw that her path was not working, changed her approach, and lived a happier more inclusive life until she died in May at 94, but being nice to those who helped her instead of surly.
If something is not working, make the change. If there is an obstacle re-route like your GPS, don’t bemoan your space.
Working with Amazon is a case lesson in this. They have often made our journey very complex. However, today’s commerce is on their terms, so we are obliged to comply. No use in bringing a tennis racket to a swim meet. We are committed to offering quality and service, if they require certain guidelines for us to achieve this, so be it. They look after their consumer, we want the same.
Gjoko