We've all experienced rudeness...
That person at the store who blocks the aisle with his cart.
That coworker who is perpetually late for meetings.
That business associate who can't help but interrupt when you speak, or who loves making you wait before letting you talk.
Encounters like this can leave you feeling annoyed or even irrationally angry.
Here are three thoughts that will help you transform that rude encounter into a valuable moment:
1. We're all hardwired to be reactionary.
And this is okay. It's even good in cases where we need our fight or flight instinct to keep us alive. But it's less than useful as a social trait.
When you're confronted with rudeness, and you start to feel ticked off--stop. Instead, choose how you will react. Because how you act (how you behave toward rudeness) will affect how you feel (whether you have a good day or a bad day).
2. It's not about you.
When someone is rude, 90% of the time they aren't doing it because they have it out for you. Maybe that person is having a rough day and there was no way he could have made it to the meeting on time.
When you focus on the other person and not on yourself, you are able to communicate to the emotion of the other person and not his/her actions.
3. Use rudeness as a cue to be kind.
Last but not least, here is the reason why that rude person is a blessing: Each encounter with rudeness can serve as a cue to be kind.
You can take that trying scene and transform it by a simple act of kindness. Kindness comes with its own blessings and rewards, some of which I talk about in a previous post. But know that kindness only grows more kindness.
Try this out the next time you are faced with rudeness:
1. Stop.
2. Decide that you will choose how you will react.
3. Use rudeness as a cue to be kind.
You experience rudeness every day. Be the difference for the other person, as well as establishing purposeful kindness as a habit in your life.
Share your experience with me below in the comments, or on The Kindness Map.
Waiting to hear your story,
Gabriella van Rij
#DareToBeKind #PickUpTheBall #TheKindnessMovement #TheKindnessMap