The other morning, before heading out the door for work, my wonderful husband hit me with vacation decisions to be made for a January get-away—not such a big deal, but when I was driving out of town, I got behind two inexperienced and VERY slow drivers, so I hit every red light.  Then the farmers and their big equipment were on the road holding up multiple cars, including mine. When I got to work—finally—I received word that two staff had called in and I would have to put aside my “to do” list to take on their work for the day. Whew! It was bad enough that I felt rushed to get there, and now I would be behind all day.  

Ever had one of “those” days? Of course you have—we all have them, but it is how we roll with the minor or major roadblocks in our way that makes a successful day. It all begins with how we literally show up for work.

I could have stayed in a low level of energy, feeling sorry for myself, a bit victimized, and somewhat overwhelmed by the building blocks of frustration. And I could have taken that energy and been rude to my co-workers and customers, and then my husband when I got home. Or I could have moved into a better level of energy—one that is positive, rational, and generative.

For instance: it was so lovely for my husband to be planning a get-away in January after a very busy season in my work life. Why should I be mad at that? And hopefully, the two young drivers will gain that good experience they need to be safe on the road. I remember when I first started out! And how lucky are we to be living in one of the world’s best agricultural regions? Farmers are my customers. We love them. And it is sometimes good to “let go” and see what jobs my employees do.

If that all sounds like too much happiness for you, think about it. Bad energy is contagious, it lowers productivity, it damages relationships, it can harm your customer relations.

How do you show up for work? How can you access that emotional intelligence, move through conflict with ease, and determine what is really a problem or not in a rational and thoughtful way?

Something to ponder while you are waiting at the red light in a hurry to get to work.