Don't "Take it Out" on the Wrong Person
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We’re getting introspective this week.
This week’s topic is inspired by this quote:
“Don’t bleed on people who didn’t cut you.” (Anonymous)
Can be much easier said than done, as most things. As all of us move through the world, it’s so important that we take responsibility for our own emotions and behavior and avoid projecting onto people who aren’t the source of whatever happens to be digging at us in the moment.
In service of our impact, and reputations, and relationships with others, it’s best to avoid unintentionally punishing others for things that they have no part in.
At work, this can be while dealing with customers, or a coworker, or a boss that just happens to be in front of you and on the receiving end of the bad mood that you’re carrying about an entirely different situation,
I love this quote from Ted Lasso: “All people are different people.”
And similar to that; all situations are different situations. As humans, we all come with our own set of baggage and damage from ways we have been upset, frustrated, agitated by previous people or situations. And those “previous situations” can often be from an interaction we just had five minutes ago.
“All people are different people.”
Tough but true: other people aren’t responsible for the unpleasantness you’ve experienced from past situations caused by different people.
And yes, we have all been guilty at some point of being in a mood when someone crosses our path in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But if you want to level up as a human, coworker, boss, romantic partner, etc., you have got to be mindful of your own emotions, and intentional about your behavior.
It happens to all of us: you spill your coffee in the car, traffic causes you to be late to a meeting, someone says something careless to you, or a rude customer depletes all the joy from your heart — there’s plenty of reasons and ways for the world and other people to knock you off the tracks on any given day.
You don’t have to pretend those things don’t exist or avoid feeling the feelings that those things can bring. The challenge is to be present, acknowledge your emotions, and be mindful to not project them onto people who didn’t cause them.
“The challenge is to be present, acknowledge your emotions, and be mindful to not project them onto people who didn’t cause them.”
Final thoughts and a little reflection.
If this resonates and you notice that it’s a regular or consistent thing that you do, then maybe take a moment to think about if there’s something else you’re not addressing or dealing with in another part of your life that is causing you to show up in a way that doesn’t reflect your best.
This isn’t intended to be a therapy session, just a little reminder and a useful tip to think about how you’re moving through the day and impacting others. The more that we understand ourselves, and take responsibility for the way we personally show up, the better our workplaces, team dynamics, and relationships of all kinds become.
Go be awesome.
Related Blogs:
How to Get Along With Anyone at Work
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This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content in less than 5 minutes a week. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop
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