My close friend, Deacon Matt Glover, who also happens to be the Bellator Society Chaplain and was recently on the Bellator Colliquium podcast, is known for many things: baseball, intriguing homilies AND pickles. I have first-handedly witnessed Matt throw a 40-year-old version of a tantrum because the restaurant served his burger with large juicy pickles. It ruined the burger.
I get it, Matt!
All it takes is one unpleasant circumstance.
Unfortunately, I tend to perseverate on that one moment, which spoils the following hours.
You know how it is when a kid spills a glass of milk or poops their pants in the store, you get cut off in traffic or you feel belittled by an innocent comment? It can really get under your skin. I seem to hang onto those moments and they stay on the back-burner of my brain throughout the day.
Recently, I was complaining to my dear friend about a situation which got the best of me.
I was caught off guard when she said, “Don’t let the sausage juice steal your joy!” She then explained how when you have a plate of food with sausage and the sausage juice spreads on your plate making the other food taste like sausage, it makes for an unpleasant meal. Well, this summed up my experience perfectly. I let one bad moment spill over to the rest of my day, ruining it!
Evidently, I’m not the only one.
How can we not only prevent these unfortunate moments from ruining our day, but also how do we react and handle it in the moment?
First, identify what feeling you’re experiencing. Defensive (most likely for me), irritated, hurt?
Although it’s hard, try not to complain, because this seems to magnify the situation and inflict negativity on others.
Then we have to ask ourselves, “Is it really THAT big of a deal?” Put it into perspective.
Now here is the challenging part. We have to switch shoes and consider the other person’s perspective. Consider whether you are at fault for the incident that ruined your day. This takes a long pause and self-reflection, because it’s way too easy to be defensive in these moments (especially when it involves your spouse).
Above all, are we responding from a place of love?
So, the next time you have a bad moment, try not to let the sausage juice ruin your day!
