Have a Blessed Day!
Have a Blessed Day!
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes. Including you.” – Annie Lamott
A few days ago, I went to the UPS Store near my home to purchase a box, which I would use to ship an international package with DHL. The overseas shipment would serve the purpose of returning tailored clothing that was a bit too small.
Thinking about it now … I am unsure if my body expanded a couple of inches in the two weeks since I was measured or if the tailor just missed the mark.
In either case, the merchant does not provide a return label that would have saved me the shipping costs, so guess what … I paid $350!
Wow!
Back to the UPS Store
While I was waiting in line to purchase the $2.50 box at the UPS Store, I heard a conversation that resonated with me.
A gentleman, who was probably in his late 50s, and his adult son were discussing the return of three Amazon packages. As it turns out, though, they had only two return labels, which meant they would have to pay for one of them. The boxes were rather large, so I am pretty sure they were not interested in absorbing the cost.
UPS Store Manager: “Sir, I would go back and contact Amazon to get the return label you are missing. That is what I recommend.”
Gentlemen: “Yeah. That is going to add more time, and we really want to get out of this right away. We don’t want to keep delaying the return.”
UPS Store Manager: “You have the option to pay for the additional box, but I think it will be over $100 to do that.”
At this time, an elderly lady who was waiting in line and had nothing to do with the conversation, felt it was time to interject …
“I do this all the time! You can’t group the packages with one label. You have to get a separate label for each box.”
Yes … Captain Obvious statement here!
The gentleman replied curtly but still in a nice tone …
“Thank you so much ma’am!”
Knowing that he and his son were out of viable options, he composed himself and said to the manager …
“Okay, miss! We will get this straight with Amazon and come back a bit later today. Have a blessed day!”
That’s the Message!
I think this conversation took no more than just two minutes, but the message for me is clear.
This gentleman seemed frustrated that he could not return all three boxes with two labels. However, at no time did he lose his cool with anyone, even with the elderly lady who made this situation her business.
Despite all the frustrations, he had the patience to wish a blessed day to the manager.
While this lesson might seem small, it’s far bigger for me.
I want to learn from what I observed. I want to have this patience when faced with similar situations.
The fact is that no one here was to blame. There was a misunderstanding regarding the shipping labels, and it was not the end of the world.
If I can apply this lesson in my life, I am confident I will be a better husband, father, friend, and colleague.
Amen!
See you next week, my friends!
Inspiring Quotes
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” –William James
“Rule number one is, don’t sweat the small stuff. Rule number two is, it’s all small stuff.” – Robert Eliot
Homework Inquiry
During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: How will you maintain a cool and composed attitude during stressful situations?
I use this opportunity to share with you a unique story and a couple inspiring quotes. Oh ... as a professor at heart, you guessed it, I have a homework inquiry for you. This is a powerful question that might just trigger you to take action on something that really matters in your life. If you feel the Catalyst Newsletter brings benefit to you.