Iowa Specialty Hospital

Notes from Steve

February 18, 2019

Lately I’ve been out of sorts for stupid things I’ve done. (I accidentally forgot to lock the door to the bathroom at the fitness center a couple of weeks ago and was on display … full on naked … to the Zumba class. This almost sent me into an anxiety induced coma.) And that whole thing about not hanging up the phone correctly a couple of months ago and talking to my life coach (and several CEO and board members) about God knows what. That struck me dumb. I was out of focus for days.

The thing is - no one really cares. What I perceive as the end of the world is but a minor blip for most people. (I would like to think, though, the chick who opened the closed door onto a fully naked middle aged freaked out guy will probably knock next time.) When I say no one cares, I don’t mean that people literally don’t care whether or not you have bad experiences, it is just that we tend to put a lot of weight on things that really don’t matter. If and when someone gives me the stink eye or makes a less than favorable comment regarding my shoes - I might get all high and mighty and post on Facebook that life sucks or I might conclude that the stink eyed person commenting on my shoes is having an off day. Their day was set off by someone or something and they are transferring stress and negativity to me.

The bottom line is some of us are consumed with drama and in reality, our lives aren’t a movie. Not everyone is out to get us. Stuff happens and when it does, it doesn’t mean it was directed to anyone in particular. There was no big calculated plan to open the bathroom door at the exact time I would be standing right there on full display … it just happened. And sometimes, when we look at someone and squint, it may be taken for the stink eye. Or when someone asks me a question and I’m still PTSDing on something I did, I may come across mad. 

I’m going to try and practice giving people a break. I judge their reactions and sometimes I don’t know what really is going on. 

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