Frustration and truth
A recent failure with Remember The Milk's ability to create tasks from labels in Gmail has gummed up both my email inbox and my usual methods of staying on top of my tasks. Ultimately not a big deal; just frustrating to be so easily thrown for a mini-loop. Mostly, it's me throwing a low-level tantrum that things don't work the way I want them to. Now that it's been out a week or so, I'm finally breaking down and implementing a workaround. I'm a bit too huffy and precious for my own good sometimes.
Wish my childishness were limited to my inbox and task list, but of course it isn't. Anytime a system doesn't work (the way I want), it's easy for me to get my nose out of joint about it, often without giving a second thought to the root of my disappointment-myself. That's especially bad practice when others are summarily blamed for my frustration. The process is usually invisible and quick, so I don't examine my underlying assumptions and expectations before becoming (self-)righteously pissed off.
Is it worth the effort to try to screen that stuff out? I think the answer is yes, but not just for the standard "be good to others" reasons. Those are nice, of course, and they have the added value of wide acceptance, which means I get affirmation from others when I jump aboard the train (let's not kid-that's a big motivator for many of us). It's also worth some work on my end because, if I really love others, there are going to be times when telling the truth means needing to confront real issues and outright sin (those who love me will need to do the same). If I've already filled the relational channel with a bunch of my own garbage, there's an additional layer of noise that can get in the way of our hearing one another. Worse by far, it can also get in the way of our hearing God.
Wish my childishness were limited to my inbox and task list, but of course it isn't. Anytime a system doesn't work (the way I want), it's easy for me to get my nose out of joint about it, often without giving a second thought to the root of my disappointment-myself. That's especially bad practice when others are summarily blamed for my frustration. The process is usually invisible and quick, so I don't examine my underlying assumptions and expectations before becoming (self-)righteously pissed off.
Is it worth the effort to try to screen that stuff out? I think the answer is yes, but not just for the standard "be good to others" reasons. Those are nice, of course, and they have the added value of wide acceptance, which means I get affirmation from others when I jump aboard the train (let's not kid-that's a big motivator for many of us). It's also worth some work on my end because, if I really love others, there are going to be times when telling the truth means needing to confront real issues and outright sin (those who love me will need to do the same). If I've already filled the relational channel with a bunch of my own garbage, there's an additional layer of noise that can get in the way of our hearing one another. Worse by far, it can also get in the way of our hearing God.