How does this affect the rest of my life?

[debsee]

Take the time when you are driving, making a phone call, at work interacting with your fellow employees or the public, to decide if someone “does you wrong” what ever it may be, is your reaction worth the consequences to the rest of your life?

I’m talking about the little things that happen to us everyday. Someone cuts you off while you are driving ; you have to call the phone company about your bill and the person you talk to is rude :crying:; someone at work pours the last cup of coffee and doesn’t make another pot :banghead:; the lady you waited on at work was rude and mean to you. Before you chose to react and let it ruin your day/life ask yourself a simple question:

How does this affect the rest of my life?

Really! How is it going to affect the well being and quality of the rest of your life? If you are currently stewing about something that happened recently you can still ask yourself the question then let it go! It isn’t that important! It isn’t going to change the rest of your life.

Yesterday I was passed by a car at a high rate of speed in town, who then changed lanes in front of me then turned in front of me. It wasn’t anything close and I wondered what the hurry was. The man in the car was tailgating a van in front of him and the van turned off on a side street. The man in the car slammed on his brakes, threw the car into park and jumped out screaming obscentities, shaking his fist and pointing his finger at the driver of the van. The driver of the van backed up opened his door and proceeded to start screaming back. I was honesty in fear of what this could escalate to. I believe if either party had a gun, I would have witnessed a shooting.

After the guy in the car decided to leave, I headed on my way home and wondered to myself, what could possible have happened to provoke the events I had just witnessed. I’m sure it had to do with driving and it was like having cold water thrown into my face. I get very frustrated and vocal when I’m driving. Witnessing this exchange formed the question in my head. One I have vowed to place in my mind at all times in the future.

How does this affect the rest of my life?

The answer 99.999 (infinity) is IT WON’T. Rude drivers, clerks, workers, customers, can’t do anything to affect the big picture of my life.

I wanted to ask all of you who read this to make this question part of your lives as well. We all need to chill out and settle down. Don’t let the little stuff ruin your day, week, month, year, whatever. We are called to be examples of Christ, and can you imagine him shaking His fist and cussing someone out because they took His parking place???

Peace and prayers,

Debbie

 

[Joysong]

This is a very nice thread, Debbie. We need little reminders like this. Maybe it would help to post it around my home and car.

I had heard it said in similar way, and it often calmed me down:

What does this have to do with eternity?

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[nico1089]

Hi Debbie–Good post. It seems many people are so defensive of their ego that they get caught up in the immediacy of a meaningless situation. Instead of doing this and wasting time in regrets perhaps one should focus on the immediate good–like God is present. God’s presence makes the biggest difference in our lives and eternity. Using such incidents as a tool to remember God can put a smile into an otherwise dull day.–nicolo

 

[AquinasXVI]

Debbie:

Our ethos regarding and addressing all of these things affect our eternity. Work, play, errands, chores, daily contact with co workers, traffic, all of these things factor in. We are given the gift of the everyday and ordinary to use as means to serve Christ. All the good we do and all the sufffering we endure for love of Christ is our life WITH Christ.

It is all useful and meant to be used to build our virtues. Patience in traffic, diligence, integrity and justice at work, charity in communications, the list goes on and on.

St. Josemaria and St. Therese of Liseux both teach us that LIFE is more IN THE ORDINARY than in the unique. Christ had countless of dull hours in the carpenter’s shop sanding wood, carrying supplies, cleaning tools etc etc. yet all of his actions edified for our salvation. All small acts that he made in the silent years are all cumulative to his final sacrifice in the passion.

This is the proverbial “pick up your cross and follow me” that we serve him in the state in our lives that we are in.

Thanks for allowing me to share.

in XT.