As I reached the front of the line, the man behind the counter answered the phone a d patiently explained to a woman on the other end that, as the recorded message stated, she needed to call another office to get her question answered. He politely gave her the number again and hung up. She called right back asking the same question, and he politely told her the same thing. I expected him to be short with me after dealing with a customer who was clearly not listening, and wasting his time as a result. Instead, he mirthfully asked how much I'd llke to bet that the same lady would call back with the same question within the next 3o seconds, and we all had a good laugh. He then said, without a hint of sarcasm, "We love all of our customers--especially the ones who make us laugh," and happily helped me, clearly uplifted by, rather than annoyed at, dealing with a potentially frustrating customer in a potentially stressful job.
I really love it when I encounter people like this, because not only are they a pleasure to deal with, but they remind me of the importance of maintaining a positive attitude, and demonstrate the extent to which we can control our stress response if we simply maintain a sense of humor about life.
How might your attitude ward of stress for you today?
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Well, It ‘s hard to find people especially in government org: with such positive attitude. I don’t know why, may be the level of stress or something else but personally i rarely find myself with such persons when I m out for some work. For instant our new postman, i rarely see his face, I mean every time he is to deliver some letter he just hand it over looking somewhere else and not even a smile on his face, Even though it doesn’t affect me anyhow. Personally I’ve never been like that for people. I always trying to have a good heart with a smile toward people I meet on the street and it gives some happiness and feels so fresh as well.
And talking about today, well I got my brother back in home and its kinda irritating but its sort of fun as well. after reading some of your posts i started to meditate (Focusing on Breathing) since this morning, I also discovered what should be my ultimate goal and how should I work toward achieving them. I still have some unsorted things but I m looking forward to rectify them later in the future.
Hirantha: It’s wonderful to hear about your progress toward your goals, as well as your great attitude toward people (which is completely evident through your comments here). Even though it would be nice if everyone were positive, as you can see from my blog post, when you have a good attitude, it affects people in ways you may not even be aware of. (I bet this guy had no clue someone would go and blog about how cool he was when he was making his little joke.) Hopefully your great attitude will help with your situation with your brother, and the goals you’re working toward will provide you with more stamina and motivation to go even further toward your dreams! Be sure to come back and let us know how it’s going, too.
That was a great story, it’s nice to see people who can maintain internal joy in the midst of difficult circumstances. That kind of attitude is possible for everyone but takes discipline and a forceful change of perspective to make a daily habit.
Learning not to take the negative behaviors and attitudes of others personally is a major key to keeping a positive attitude and reducing stress. Also, identifying the things we can change and removing focus from the things we cannot reduces the stressful nagging that rattles in our subconscious minds.
Nita Leotta
http://splendids.com
I look forward to enjoying this site. I am an optimist who is always looking for new ways to share my optimism, even in the worst of times. Thanks
Im sure it was much easier to be nice to someone as attractive as you. I’m sure you know of studies where people are not treated as nicely by others if they aren’t very “good looking” are not dressed nicely, maybe have an accent, and maybe even have a deformity or are old and have to use a walker or wheelchair. All I’m saying is life IS MUCH MORE difficult for some, more than others and anyone would rather deal with a beautiful young woman or handsome young man than a decrepit old person.
You make a valid point, Arty, and you put it nicely. I know there are studies on people being treated differently based on appearance, but I don’t have to look them up because I have experienced it first-hand as well. (I was in a serious car accident many years ago and was wheelchair-bound for a while; I was definitely treated differently when I did not look healthy and able-bodied. I found it ironic that those who need kindness the most are sometimes the ones who receive less, and I have always counted myself lucky. I wish this weren’t a part of human nature.)
Prejudices aside, however, my “friend” at the DMV still presents a great example to follow, and one that is available to all of us. The way he was able to laugh about a frustrating situation and then let it roll off of his back really shows the difference that a sense of humor can make. Sometimes we have to deal with people who are not pleasant, and seeing the humor in the situation can help us to feel less anger and more compassion, or at least distance ourselves emotionally and let it go. This is something I think about when I am dealing with people who are unreasonable, and is a proven technique for stress management as well.
Anyway, thank you for bringing up a good point. Maybe you’ve reminded us all to be a little bit kinder to those around us, regardless of nationality, physical ability, or other differences. I hope you have a great week.