In my day job I am a receptionist. I work at a medical school fitness facility. When I am lazy and unaware, when I am mindless, it can be a very lack-luster series of hours. When I choose to tune in and be mindful of my surrounding it offers countless ways I can practice those ideals I have within my heart to live. Today was offered one such moment.
I had been at the front desk for about an hour. Things were peaceful and in order. I had completed part of a task I was assigned and had just set out to accomplish the second half of the responsibility. Suddenly, in a whirlwind of chaotic energy, my boss returned from a meeting "across the street," which is what we call the main campus. Often times when returning from across the street my boss is flustered and overworked. I could tell this by the air. The energy shifted immediately, as the cold air rushed in around him, so did the air of flustered energy. Immediately he began allocating tasks, and with such frevor that the tasks did not make sense. Usually I would allow this to shift my mood. Today, however, I was able to step outside of the situation and see what was really going on.
What I saw was someone who felt powerless and controlled, and because of these feelings this person in return used those same mechanisms of control (that obviously had a negative affect on them) to make themself feel powerful once again. As I saw these themes I was able to not allow that controlling energy to affect me, or take power over me. I saw myself outside of the situation, with the power to change that energy. I did not allow myself to grow flustered. Instead I calmly stated that I did not understand what was being asked of me, and opened up a line of positive communication that allowed everyone around to be heard. I learned what I could accomplish to allow my boss to feel that order was being restored (really, a rather minimal job), I did that job and then finished the previous task I had set out to accomplish. And everyone was satisfied. This was good.