Malice and Callous In Working With Others

The past month has found me on more plane flights that I normally have in four months. While I am grateful for every opportunity, the time boarding and disembarking from planes has been a nightmare. It's in those moments waiting for someone to shove an overstuffed suitcase in an undersized bin space that I have to keep repeating the words of Dr. Richard Swenson... "There is absence of malice, but presence of callous."

Dr. Swenson wrote those words about working with other people. His point was that most people aren't out to tear you down or make your life miserable. They just aren't sensitive to others around them and/or their needs. Taking his perspective helps lower my blood pressure, and sometimes even encourages me to help them see that there are others around who need to get by or get off the plane (Using positive language of course).

The next time someone's actions are driving you to the brink of screaming-or worse- remember the words of Dr. Swenson and his perspective. After all, there's another quote at work in these situations..."He who angers you controls you."