You get blatantly cut off in traffic, your performance review is mediocre, your partner disregards your wishes, these can be such terrible things. Well how terrible do you want to make them? There isn’t a universal objective scale for how bad these things really are. You are wounded, no your pride is wounded. What is your pride but a sore foot jutting out in a busy hallway to be stepped on. I suggest being bigger than your pride. Realize that these things that happen to you are just events and you don’t need to be overly concerned with them. Use them as feedback and adjust accordingly, forgive the offender and move on happily with your life. Your foot will retreat to a safer place and begin to heal.
You get a compliment, you get a raise, your partner is absolutely perfect, wonderful right? They are as wonderful as you celebrate and acknowledge them, and you should be grateful. But be careful to not get too attached and prideful or you will be sticking that sore foot back out into the busy hallway. Also, you shouldn’t get so attached to the idea of these great things being a possibility that you are constantly seeking them and are upset when they’ve not arrived yet.
These are stoic ideals, to stay observant, but neutral, to not get too high or too low.
I’m reminded of this Chinese proverb:
Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.” The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.”
The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.” The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”
I hope you decide to make it a great day, while being mindful of how much sore foot you expose in the busy hallway of life.
Best Ops Pro 