“When emotion interferes with facts, the truth gets lost in the shuffle.” -Dr. Patrick Gentempo
I’ve held 6 jobs in the past two years, and, further, 8 in the past 3 years. Somewhere in there an opportunity catalyzed my familiarity with every nook-and-cranny of my being. This led to the affirming of my own character, which overflows into my ability to read + interpret the character of another.
One day, while hostessing at a local pub, a server approached the podium and began telling me about his goal to save money to work on his car as well as a couple other aspects of his life. He mentioned being a server was an easy way to do this. He thought a few simple amicable interactions with the customers was enough to keep the ship sailing smoothly. My dining room service experience, allowed me to comment back about the level of emotional intelligence that I felt was required to appease both the customer AND the manager. He murmured back something along the lines of “That s*#t doesn’t matter. It’s all about the customer, as long as they’re happy.” While his statement contained truth, he simultaneously voiced his ignorance of the true nature of the fast-paced, give-and-go food joint.
Unfortunately, I cannot make additional comments on his current status in the restaurant industry.
Now, anyone who’s ever had a job in the food industry knows the term “revolving door” when it comes to new hires. I relate to the process heavily.
One HUGE reason for the constant “getting-hired-then-leaving-and-finding-a-new-place-that-TA-DA!-is exactly the same” process is the same reason why a teenager who moves out of their parents’ thinking the grass is greener on the other side, will come to find themselves struggling in the same ways as when they lived at home. We cannot outrun our problems, as they say.
Neither of the situations/people above exhibit a level of emotional intelligence to carry their feelings of well-being through the turmoil.
We cannot change what we are unaware of or refuse to admit. The good news here- we have a choice BEFORE the choice. Immediately, we decide if we are going to REACT the same way we normally do without any extra thought—OR—we RESPOND knowing that how we feel about the situation will affect its outcome.
Level Up with Lizzy
Nov 20 Edition
