Powerful Lessons from Two Four-Year OldsMy grandniece had a rough day at home. She’d soiled the heat vents in her room, roughed up her little sister’s toys, spoke some new and inappropriate words, all resulting in extended “time out” in her room. At dinner in between conversation with her parents about the day, she said, “Even though you made me spend time in my room for what I did, you didn’t break my day.”
You didn’t break my day is a perfect approach up for all of us. Bad things routinely happen day in and day out, but it’s important to make sure mistakes you made or reactions from others about those mistakes don’t break your day.
My friend, Elizabeth’s grand daughter taught us both another lesson. She was jealous that her older brother ended up with more toys from the store than she got that day. It was her brother’s birthday but she didn’t see the justification for his bigger pile compared to hers. She was a little mopey and Elizabeth asked why and she answered that she was jealous. Elizabeth reminded her it was his birthday, and pointed out how many things she did get, and that being jealous was not a good thing to do, even using a bible reference. The granddaughter was silent for a long time and when Elizabeth checked on her to see her attitude after explaining about the destructiveness of her jealous feelings, her granddaughter looked at her with a smile, “Mimi, I fought it off.”
That’s what you and I need to do too when people at work give us cause to be jealous, angry, or any other negative emotion, “fight it off” and “don’t let it break your day”.
Like they say, “out of the mouths of babes”….
