Meeting Situations With Something Other than Anger

I like to consider myself to be a rather mild tempered individual. However, every once and a while I find myself in situations where I am easily angered. Working in the pharmacy,  for instance is the type of environment where hostility is quite common. For all of my pharmacy readers, we've all experienced this. A customer who is angry for a simple mistake, a longer than usual wait time, an outrageous co-pay, an insurance issue, or [my personal favorite] no apparent reason. This no apparent reason person is the most difficult of them all. You can over and beyond, farther and wider and yet they will still find a way not to be satisfied. They in fact choose to be angry. Be it a bad day or just a bad life, they are too lazy to over come the easy feeling of angry.

Sometimes anger is provoked and seems like a very necessary reaction, I've felt this way many times.You become a health professional to serve and help people, and you find someone jumping down your throat for doing just that, helping them. You feel insulted, threatened, and attacked. I think this feeling is one of thee worst aspects of retail pharmacy. During this past year of rotation, I've heard many pharmacist simply say they can't handle retail. I would like to think that I pride myself on being very versatile. In that, I can handle any environment. I may not like it, but I can certainly handle it. Working retail pharmacy has taught me a lot. Groomed me actually. Into a better person. Taught me that sometimes we need to meet uncomfortable situations and unruly people with something other than the anger we may so desparately feel they/it deserves. These situations present us with opportunities to exercise all that we aspire to be in this world.

I experienced a very devastating situations almost two years ago. The lowest point I've ever been in life actually. I was so broken. The only emotion I could muster was anger, because it was easy. I didn't have the energy to give the situation anything other than anger. The people around me who cared about me begged me to gain control of my emotions. My father has always been my sound reason. Whenever, I've been in a mind set to make a really irrational decision, my mother has always summoned my father to bring me back. And this situation was no different. His advice to me was to remain calm always, because when you're dancing with your emotions you're not at your best and you're not focused on what is at hand. This is absolutely, positively true. I have learned this the hard way.

Sometimes the situations and the people we feel most deserve the worst we have to give actually really need our best. They need our kind spirits, reassuring smiles, optimisim, problem-solving skills, our creativity, our balance, and most certainly our peace. I'm certain that many of us would be astonished by the number of people who live unpeacefully every single day of their lives. We all have our demons, and they're all different. My struggle may be different from yours but it's a struggle all the same. The best that we have was given to us to give to others. Meeting situations with something other than anger is not for the faint of heart. It's not easy or even always recognized or appreciated. But most often than not it's necessary. Misery loves company, but you don't have to be that company. You have a choice to decline the invitation, and counter offer with an invitation of your own. Not anger, not today!