Daily Inspiration 9-30-19

"Are we there yet?" 

-- Common lament of
children on a long trip 

New: Audio version

[Classic post from 5-3-15]

I went into a bank on Friday, and it just happened to be the first of the month. I full well knew that this is not the best day to go there if I want to get in and out quickly and smoothly. Nonetheless, I needed to so I went. Oh, did I mention it was 12 noon when I got there?

So, guess what? The line was long, but I can assure you that I benefited by not arriving ten or fifteen minutes after I did, for the line grew in length. Three tellers on the first day of the month. Silliness, but it is what it is. The line wasn't moving because those at the tellers were doing a month's worth of banking in a day or had a lot of issues. Then one goes to lunch, or somewhere. Now there are two and the line is twice as long as when I got there.

Ahhhh, I knew what I was in for, but like I have learned to do in situations like this, I practiced my patience, and everyone knows that I need the practice. So I practiced. I'm swaying and enjoying myself in one place. Every once in a while, I would think about whose strategy this people management exercise was. Then, I would remind myself that it is none of my affair, and went back to practicing my patience.

Another lady starts doing leg exercises using a nearby counter. Hey, might as well stay in shape while we're standing here, right? She starts complaining and getting others involved in her complaining. "This is just bad management! I used to run this government office, and this would never have happened there!" And more. Much more.

She is two ahead of me and when she finally gets to the counter, she wants to register a complaint. Registering one must be more meaningful than just stating several. Not my affair, so I focus on swaying. Now, she's telling those in line that she is registering a formal complaint on behalf of all of them when she gets home. Maybe some heads bobbed, I wasn't looking, but nobody said anything.

My transaction took 30 seconds. As I was going out the door, this lady who would register the formal complaint was now telling the security guard outside all about it and I'm not sure he was listening intently, but he was standing there. I kept going. I'm done with my task, and it's a beautiful day, so I am on my way to another place to continue to enjoy it.

This is a very simple and extremely common situation for people to get into. When we push against anything, which complaining is, filing a complaint is, filing a formal complaint is, telling everyone in sight is, no good value comes from the exercise. It is purely frustration attracting more frustration. Like attracts like. It's the law. I'm wishing her well and hoping that her day improves, but it isn't my affair. She is the only one who can do that for her. And, I am the only one who can do it for me.


We May Not Always Seem To Choose The Situation, But We ALWAYS Are The Chooser Of The Way We Want To Feel About It By How We Think And Act About It. 

Spread Some Joy Today--Plan for a wonderful day. It is purely your choice, so why not choose wonderful?