Learn How To Park A**hole

I returned from a business trip yesterday.  Got to my car. Put my luggage in the back seat. Hopped in the driver's seat.  Noticed a piece of paper stuck under the windshield wiper.  Got out.  Retrieved the paper.  Here's what it said:

Learn How To Park A**hole!

I thought back to 3 days prior when I parked my car.  It had been snowing so snow covered the ground.  I remember not being able to see those yellow parking lines that normally guide us into "parking bliss."  By the time I returned, the snow had melted, revealing I had done the unthinkable.  Both my leftside tires were directly on the yellow line.  Apparently I had violated airport parking etiquette.

Interesting thing about conflict.  Conflict involves misunderstanding.  Had that person known I had no clue where the lines were, I'm sure they would not have left me their "love" note (or at least used less colorful language.)    And let's be honest.  The person's anger was most likely not coming from an inability to park beside me.  It was coming from something else.  Are they battling cancer?  Were they going to visit their grandkids to tell them they were dying?  Did they have chronic back pain?  Were they being laid off work?   By the way, this means I need to caution against misunderstanding what THEY have been going through too! 

Another interesting thing about conflict.  Being mean saps energy.  Meanness lowers the energy level of both the mean-giver and the mean-receiver.  When I first read the note, I felt bad.  I felt drained a little.  I quickly had a laugh about it.  But my was less than before I saw the note.  Likewise, I'm sure that although the person may have felt a self-satisfying feeling of superiority, their highness was short-lived.  Their energy was ultimately sapped as well.

MORAL?

Here are three morals to this little episode.  Choose the best one:

1) Never park in a parking lot after a snow

2) Park as far away from the doors as possible

3) Don't be mean.  Be kind.  Be understanding.

How we approach a conflict makes all the difference if we're going to Serve Strong!

photo credit: ME!  (picture of the actual note)

BTW: If you want to commit to being kind and understanding all year long, join the 365 Club on Facebook!  CLICK TO JOIN