Is Frustration In Control
Would you say frustration is a good or a bad thing?
Before you rush to answer, think about the last you were frustrated. When was that exactly? Maybe it’s been a while, or as recent as the days surrounding Christmas. Was it the last time you checked the mail, or talked on the phone? Who were you frustrated with – someone you knew, or a complete stranger who turned something simple into a major ordeal?
Earlier today I encountered someone who can only be described as frustrated. A situation had occurred, just before I arrived. It had nothing to do with our meeting. Yet it was going to be their focal point the entire time I was with them.
At first I was tempted to ask if there was anything I could do to help. Thankfully what started as a polite pause, resulted in a completely different course of action. I simply sat there, looked them in the eye, and listened to what they had to say.
At first there were details about what he had just been through. Next came general comments about people today. Before long, our single sided conversation focused on how life as a whole was just unfair. Finally it happened. They threw their hands in the air and said…. (I’ll have to leave that part out to keep a “G” Rating, but you can probably guess what it was on your own.)
Just when I thought the worst was over, they ask me what I would have done in their situation.Thousands of years of human evolution came to my aid as the “fight or flight” reflex kicked-in. I sat-up straight, threw my shoulders back and said, “I would feel exactly the same way you do, but… I would never have been lucky enough to find someone to listen to me the way you did.”
Evidently my nervous response to what had just unfolded was the perfect answer. In an instant my new best friend burst out in laughter. The conversation shifted to things more light hearted. Although we only spent a minute or two talking about the original purpose of my visit, the outcome was far better than I had hoped for prior to arriving.
So, would you say frustration is a good or a bad thing? Maybe it’s how we deal with it that determines our real answer.
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