So today I was driving down the road, on my way to work, and out of the corner of my eye I noticed leaves blowing out into the street. It was both normal and odd at the same time.
Normal…yes, on a windy day.
Odd…because there was no wind today.
On the side of the street there was a gardener with a leaf blower having his way with the debris in the gutter. He was blowing all the leaves out into the street, with no thought of where they would end up, just cleaning “his area.” Traffic was carrying them along the road until they would settle in the gutter of the next block, becoming someone else’s problem.
Today I realized that I sometimes blow my “leaves,” or stuff, into someone else’s “gutter,” or sphere of existence. Moving my leaves down the road and leaving them there for others to deal with is not healthy, nor is it wise. In fact, it often causes people to become frustrated, angered, offended or hurt. So what to do?
An old hiking phrase comes to mind. “Pack it in. Pack it out.” Simply put, I need to own my stuff: the good, the bad and the ugly parts of it. If I make a mess when communicating with someone, it is my responsibility to go back and clear up the communication. That way, the parties involved can move on without having to clean up after me or carry my stuff on with them. My words, my body language, my tone of voice, and my actions all have effects on other people…and, YES, they are my responsibility.
So three things…
- Avoid making a mess!
- If you do make a mess, don’t blow it down the street, deal with it!
- Don’t expect others to clean up after you, it is your responsibility!
May we all find ways to handle our “stuff” so that there are fewer piles blowing around where they shouldn’t be.
