Michael

I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. – Maya Angelou

I think that how you handle life’s little bumps is a big indication of inner struggles causing you to feel out of control. How we act in the external world is a reflection of what is going on internally. Our reactions to the world around us can also be indicative of our true beliefs regardless of what we say. One of the best lessons I’ve learned is to always view how people behaved and not what they said. One’s behavior is a much better indicator of personality, belief systems and integrity than mere words.

How do you handle a rainy day? Do you take it in stride or do you get upset, bothered or aggravated? Do you realize the benefits of the rain or revel in the cycles of nature? Or do you become annoyed that you have to deal with it? I learned a great lesson from my daughter. She used to come alive when it rained. As a little girl she would play for hours during a rainstorm. It really changed my perspective.

Lost luggage is a great example. I’ve seen people yelling and screaming at the airline representative. Of course, the people dealing with the issue are not the cause but they become the focal point for everyone’s frustration.

Tangled Christmas tree lights can make some people go over the “edge.” It can be quite amusing (from my perspective at least). On this issue, I tend to go into problem solving mode and treat it like a puzzle. What about you?

Traffic jams are a favorite of mine. I used to get completely frustrated and vocal about having to wait in traffic. Those behaviors did nothing to change the traffic pattern. What I had to do was distract myself. Now, I listen to music or the radio, talk with a friend if they are in the car and just relax. It took conscious effort on my part to get over this issue. I feel much better now.

If you find yourself one of those people that get annoyed, aggravated, pissed off or “put out” by life’s bumps, do yourself a favor and take a look inside. Are there any internal issues causing you to feel out of control? Are you dealing with some repressed feelings about a completely unrelated issue? Do you have a sense of entitlement supporting a belief that these kinds of things shouldn’t happen to you? Do you simply hate dealing with anything out of the ordinary?

Next time you react negatively to an event, take some time out and evaluate/contemplate on the possible reasons why. You’ll start feeling much better about your life when you can relax during life’s bumps.

Have a great day!

Michael