Lessons Learned From a Bad Mood

So here I am at the end of a very long day and I have a confession to make:

I didn't want to go to work today.

Oh come on, don't act so surprised. I'm sure you've felt like calling in sick lots of times.
The problem is I'm my own boss.

I tried to convince myself I was coming down with something terribly contagious and for the good of mankind I should stay home.
Maybe I was going to have car trouble. Or maybe the weather was dangerous to drive in.
Or
Or
Or nothing. I had no excuse for staying home except I just wanted a do-over for the day.

Have you ever been so cranky you just want to avoid everyone? I have and it only feels so good to feel so bad for so long. Eventually you have to get out of your fuzzy jammies and brave the world in spite of yourself.

I hate that part when I have a good grump going on.

So today I forced myself to be a grownup and went to work despite my druthers.
And you know what?

Today I got to talk to someone who felt really scared about life. I also got to meet a person who just needs some encouragement. And someone else who was having family trouble and needed to vent. Another client had some transitions coming and needed to think out loud.

I love that stuff! By the end of the evening I felt downright reinvigorated. Great even.

Something about reaching out to encourage others encourages me. It helps me remember that life isn't all about me. To switch my focus from me, mine, to you, yours reminds me that God created us to help each other out.

Maybe you can't help anyone out this year financially. Not many of us can. But each one of us can give a part of ourselves to someone else. It could be your time to help someone put up Christmas lights. You could help someone wrap gifts or share extra Christmas cookies (hint!).
Just the willingness to listen to someone means everything.

So I did end up going to work but it didn't seem like work once I got there.

And I think the person who was helped the most was me.

The Truth Hurts

It's really easy to discuss truth and it's merits when it applies to someone else:
THEY should understand the truth,
SHE needs to get her act together,
HE needs to accept what's really going on.

I've discovered that it's an entirely different story when the person who must acknowledge the truth turns out to be YOU.

Isn't it remarkable how even our description of events slants heavily in our defense, i.e.,
"I 'only' wanted to help, "
"I'm 'just' telling you how I feel,"
"I'm 'confused' by your reaction."

The blame, however, sounds like this:
"You're 'crazy' if you think I'm wrong,"
"You're 'selfish' to not appreciate me,"
"They are 'disrespectful' by forgetting my birthday."

As we discuss the value of truth, let's not overlook a very crucial component of it:

Telling OURSELVES the truth.

I think it's interesting to observe the many times I/we/they/you rationalize our own thoughts and behaviors. We don't fully investigate just why we want to do and say this stuff. We go off on a rampage, often with good intentions, trying to do something we think is good and right.

Then we are totally annihilated to learn we've blown it and caused trouble.

Maybe the person we helped didn't want or need it.
Maybe the comment we thought would help turned out to be the worst thing ever to say.
Maybe, with good intentions, we tidied up and accidently threw away Aunt Tillies' ashes that were stored in that old, broken box on the shelf.

Oops.

So after the fact, we are faced with hurt, bewilderment, confusion. You feel shock that something you thought was a good thing turned out to be a terrible thing after all.

Here come the choices you have to make:
1). You could become angry. Self-righteous anger always sounds good at the beginning. You could rant and rave and tell everyone you know how misunderstood you are. Plus the story, over time, will become even bigger and your victimization can grow exponentially.

2). You could become a martyr. There's some satisfaction to be enjoyed when you convince yourself and everyone else how you give and give and THIS is what you get for it.
Mankind might even construct a statue in your honor someday.

3). Or you could do the hard work of trying to see how your action or comment really came across to the other person:
Was I sensitive?
Was I timely?
Did it have to be said and/or done the way it was?
Did I assume a reaction that couldn't have occurred?
Did I try to manipulate or pressure the other person to give in to me?
Was the situation necessary or could it have waited?

Here's the thing about being truthful to yourself: it's HARD. It's hard to admit you messed up if you answer the above questions in a way that reveals your fault.

But it's important to be able to tell yourself and admit the truth.
The truth says, yes, I meant well (maybe) but it was done poorly. I messed up. I need to reexamine my intentions. I need to determine how I can avoid that calamity again.

It hurts. But the pain associated with telling yourself the truth is a healing pain. It isn't designed to maim and destroy but to help aid growth and enhance character.

Think about your relationships. Remember your surprise and delight when someone dear to you admitted they were wrong about something (not that they 'gave in' and you won the fight) and apologized. Recall the respect you felt for their ability to admit a mistake and be strong enough to tell you.

Please don't fear telling yourself the truth. No judgements or criticisms. Just the truth.

Then move on.