TAKE BACK YOUR REMOTE CONTROL
WORKPLACE January 2005
When is the last time you
gave your remote control to
someone else? Was it just this
morning? Right before you
got out of the house this
morning, did you toss your
remote control to your kids so
they could go "CLICKY.
Have a bad day, mom." And,
because they pushed the 'bad
day' button, we've been
having a bad day! Or was it
on the road. Did you toss your
remote control to another
driver on the road so he or she
could go, "CLICKY. Now
you're irritated!" And you got
to work irritated because that
other driver pushed the
'irritated' button on your
remote control. Or, did you
get to work this morning and
immediately toss your remote
control to your "difficult
person" at work so that person
could go, "CLICKY. Have a
frustrating day!" And you've
been frustrated all day. Felt
like you've been going a
million miles an hour, but you
haven't really gotten anything
done. Your difficult person
pushed the 'frustrated' button
on your remote control.
Our everyday language
reveals just how often we toss
other people our remote
controls. "He made me so
angry!" "There's nothing I
can do about it." "He/she/it
did it on purpose!" And all
those people who waste your
time complaining or
gossiping, listen to their
language. It's ALWAYS
someone else's fault!
Somehow, the people we live
with, work with, and
encounter in our day gain
access to our remote controls
and push our buttons. They
know EXACTLY what our
triggers are. They are doing it
to us on purpose.
Really, the only way anyone
could push our buttons or
triggers, the only way anyone
could make us angry, upset,
happy, lonely or annoyed is if
they were pushing the buttons
on OUR remote control. One
fifteen year old, after years of
being told by his mom that he
deliberately pushed her
buttons, finally turned to her
and said, "Mom. If I could
push your buttons, I would
have pushed OFF a long time
ago!"
And isn't that true. Think
about your kids, your spouse,
your 'ex', your boss, your
difficult clients and difficult
coworkers. If you had their
remote controls in your hand
when they're being difficult,
wouldn't you just push OFF?!
Then, think of what a great
day you could have! And
they'd certainly turn us OFF! Those days when you have a
great day, guess what decision
YOU made. Those days when
everything goes right, guess
what decision YOU made.
Those days when your
difficult people simply can't
get to you, because you could
care less, guess what decision
YOU made. Those days when
idiot drivers on the road don't
bother you, guess what
decision YOU made.
You have no remote control.
It didn't come out with the
placenta or any other time.
You cannot be controlled
remotely. You only have one
button. Where is it? Inside of
you. Only one person has
access to it? You. Bottom
line: You are either in control
of you OR you are out of
control. Make a better choice!