So I’m at the post office the other day mailing out what appears to be a record number of books and special surprises to my list of awesome clients and readers. Out of the three post-office-attendant lines, I had one of them completely shut down due to my large number of boxes. I could feel the tension in the room as the other lines continued to back up during the hurried lunch-hour rush.
I finally got all the packages mailed so I thanked my attendant Tiffany for her hard work and wished her a GREAT day and headed on my way. As I was walking past the long line of patrons toward the exit with my push-cart I saw one of the post-office attendants rapidly come from behind his station and approach a gentleman that had apparently borrowed some of the post-office packaging tape. For easy reference I’ll just call the attendant Bob and the patron Tom.
“Sir, you can’t use the tape for that.” said Bob. “Dude you need to go back to your station and do your job because all of these people are waiting for you.” said Tom. Then Bob repeated, “Sir, you can’t use our tape for your letter. Hand it to me please.” “DUDE, Back the hell up and go do your job!”
After hearing the conversation I paused for a second because I really wasn’t in a hurry to leave. I then looked over expecting to see a huge box of items that Tom was using the tape for, but to my surprise I saw three little smaller-than-standard size letters. Tom was using maybe three-cents worth of tape to bundle them together as one.
“SIR! YOU NEED TO STOP USING THE TAPE AND HAND IT OVER TO ME, NOW!!!” said Bob. Tom then squared-up in Bob’s face and yelled, “GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME DUDE! I’M SERIOUS, BACK THE F*** UP AND GO DO YOUR JOB!”
Ok, by this time I’m trying to think of a way I can help diffuse the situation. I thought that maybe if I offered the guy some of my packing tape it would be okay, but unfortunately I left my packing tape at home. And then I thought well maybe if I offered to pay for the tape maybe then Bob would concede and back off. Then it hit me. The incident had escalated to a point where Bob was probably no longer interested in just getting the tape, he was looking to save face at all cost and he couldn’t see any other way out. Yes, as you can imagine they both looked super-silly in the moment.
My wife summed it up best when she said, “Sometimes when you’re attempting to save face you’re actually losing face.” Wow, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Well, unfortunately the drama stops at this point without any real juicy details. As it began to escalate more I didn’t stick around to see the resolution so I don’t know how it ended. I can only speculate that maybe Bob called the police to report that he was robbed at scissor point. Are maybe Tom handed over the tape and stormed out vowing never to return. Are maybe they both gave the viewing audience a beat-down fight that landed them both in the emergency room. Are maybe they both did an about-face and apologized to each other and hugged it out. Not likely I’m sure but it sure is a refreshing thought. Hmmm…
All I can say is they need to read my book “Bread Crumbs to Making it GREAT.” It talks about this very thing on page #55 and a host of others.
The take-home message for this entry today is, pick your battles wisely. Three cents of packaging tape would be a walk-away battle in my book. Remember, it always takes two to escalate a conflict so don’t be the one.
Feel free to take this Bread Crumb and Make it GREAT!
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Out of all the things to remember during your daily routine of life please add this one thing to the list. Never forget to engage in activities that are specifically designed to sharpen your Passion Pencil.
Yes my friends it’s extremely important that we make a point to read a quick blurb of something that will encourage us or listen to a quick audio-jot of something that will inspire us.
Schedule a lunch or phone “power-chat” with someone who can mutually motivate and stimulate you. Commit a completely random act of kindness when the opportunity presents itself. These activities will keep your mind on good and positive things which opens you up to receive that which is good and positive into your life in return.
Those who are intentional about engaging in these little but significant daily disciplines and actions will soon find themselves getting better and better and closer and closer to accomplishing that which they seek. There are many laws in this great universe of ours placed there by our creator that makes these intentional activities sooooo powerful over time.
So I invite you to adjust your day-calendars accordingly and modify your to-do list as appropriate and don’t just make this life “good,” be intentional in the days ahead and take this breadcrumb of wisdom and make it GREAT! Keep that Passion Pencil sharpened.
My Book, Bread Crumbs to Making it GREAT can help.
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Was driving my kids to school this morning and my little 5th grader, Chance, noticed that there was a huge crowd of students gathered in the parking lot of his school. It was the 6th graders preparing to leave for an annual camp for the week.
Chance then made the comment, “That’s not fair, they get to go to camp and not have to do any school work and we do.” I told Chance, “We can’t make the common mistake of looking at what other people have in their hands and complaining about what we don’t have in ours. Patience is a special virtue that’s often neglected and overlooked in the haste of those who are intoxicated with the constant desire for immediate gratification.”
“WHAT?” He said with the funniest look of bewilderment on his face.
I chuckled a bit and then simply smiled and repeated my usual borrowed phrase from the Old Gray-Haired Chinese Master in the old “Kung Fu” TV Show of the 1980’s, “Be patient young grasshopper, your time will eventually come.” “STOP SAYING THAT! Ughhh” He jokingly exclaimed as he shook his tight fist at me. We exchanged a couple of tough-guy glances followed by a few seconds of tense silence. Then a cracked smile emerged followed by a rush of laughter by all of us as we enjoyed the spontaneous moment of levity.
It’s times like these that are so special to me. Yes, his time will eventually come as it did for me so many years ago. And I lived to tell the story of how the dynamic duo of time and patience can turn wishes and wants into reality. Hopefully he will remember the lessons in it all and pass it on later.
So what are you rushing time for these days? Does the virtue of “patience” need to be reintroduced into your life plans? Have you found yourself staring at the filled hands of others and wondering about your own? Hmmm…
I invite you to chew on this thought for a while and be honest with yourself if a change is needed. Feel free to use this breadcrumb of wisdom as needed and let’s all continue in our efforts to make it GREAT in the days ahead.
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