Learning My Lessons

Today at church, our pastor quoted from a book in which the author was encouraging people to try to figure out what they were supposed to be learning from a situation when they found themselves in a negative one - or in one which wasn't progressing as they hoped. It's very apropos for me at this point of my life (ok....well...It's probably always been something I should have been considering...). I don't see this as a victim attitude (i.e. - this is where God wants me so I'd better just suck it up and deal with it) - rather, I see it as a way of empowering myself and not allowing myself to take a victim attitude (i.e. - this is where I am, what good can I can bring out of this situation?).

A few hours later, I received a work-related e-mail from someone who has given me quite a few gray hairs in the last year. My initial reaction was pure cortisone-driven stress and grief. But then those words returned and I really was able to consider what I was supposed to be taking from this situation. It might only be that I'm supposed to be learning how to deal with difficult people - but no one could argue with the fact that I need to improve that particular skill set. I also need to learn to repress my urge to run away from difficult situations.

I'm about 99.6% sure that this is what I'm supposed to be learning:

1. resist the urge to run away when I get scared or intimidated, and

2. refuse to allow the fact that some people don't respect me to color my own self-image.

The next time any of you guys hear me moan, you have my permission to remind me about these lessons.