Over the holiday break, I had a chance to visit Savannah, GA with my family. It was my first time visiting Savannah and it proved to be every bit as charming as I was told.
One night, we went on a horse-and-carriage ghost tour through the city. The carriage stopped at a red light, the guide shared some historical facts with us while we waited (Did you know Savannah is known as the city built on its dead? Creepy!), and the light turned green. At that exact moment, the horse began to pee.
I didn’t think much of it, until it seemed to pee FOREVER!
With every passing five seconds, I became more fidgety. I waited for cars to begin honking in anger. I anticipated drivers gesturing their displeasure as they passed. I contemplated covering the ears of my boys, assuming the furious people behind us would start yelling profanities at any moment.
The carriage driver seemed not to understand the clear and present urgency of this situation. I looked nervously at the other passengers, wondering if they felt the same level of angst as me. The New Yorker in me began to will the horse to finish.
How much did the damn thing drink? I wondered.
The green light turned yellow, a clear indicator that people behind us were about to lose their minds. It turned red. Sweet baby, Jesus, I thought. This is it.
Then, an incredible thing happened: Absolutely NOTHING.
No one honked. No one cursed. No one even seemed to notice. It was all fine. It was even, dare I say, calm.
I’m used to a fast-paced environment, and anything not moving at the speed of light triggers my impatience. (Slow drivers in the left lane? Forget about it.) Yet in Savannah, surrounded by people and a culture that seemed to take everything in stride, I became more relaxed.
Sometimes we need to step away from our daily environment to recognize the influence it has on us. By becoming aware of that influence, we then get to make a decision between two options: do I choose to change my environment, or do I choose to change who I am in my environment?
It’s easy to gossip when surrounded by those who gossip. Either remove yourself from the gossip, or make a conscious decision not to gossip.
It’s easy to become negative when surrounded by Eeyores. Either stop hanging around Eeyores or consciously choose to stay positive.
You get the idea. The choice is yours.
Talk soon,
Pete
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