Monday Morning Motivator-DON'T RIDE AN ELEPHANT...to kill a grasshopper"

My husband, Jim, taught me this wonderful, old Thai expression. (I wish I could say it in Thai, like he can..) And boy, is it good advice. It might even be worth following. And it might not be all that easy at first. Especially for some of us...You know those people (they seem to be multiplying like rabbits...) who, when the smallest mistake is made or the tiniest thing goes wrong (there's a typo in the presentation, it turns out the restaurant is closed on Monday's, the package isn't delivered on the day it was promised) go absolutely ballistic. They pull out all the stops, show you the full monty of their rage - and threaten to cancel the project, kill the idea, end the relationship, resign the account, fire the poor wretch who missed the error - whatever. Or, let's say  someone does a "ding" on you in a meeting, or returns a plate they borrowed with a big chip in it (just happened to me) or criticizes your daughter for the way she drives...(I know, watch it, right?)  and instead of being mildly annoyed or even amused, we come riding out on that elephant! (I worked for a guy decades ago who was so enraged because his office was hot that he climbed up on top of his desk and kicked out the tiles in the ceiling. He's still a legend in that company and not in a good way: "Remember when Harry went crazy about the heat??!!")   And when we do this, the only thing that happens besides an incredible waste of energy or heaven forbid, damage, is that the elephant-riding person loses all credibility. Onlookers shake their heads, the so-called culprits shrug their shoulders - and pretty much everyone says something like, "There he goes again. Just ignore it. He ALWAYS does that. It means nothing." And instead of demonstrating the strength of our muscles, we've shown them our weak underbelly: our inability toseparate the critical from the inconvenient - which is never a good idea. So next time you're tempted to climb up on that big ol' elephant, hold it. Hey, it's a grasshopper, for Pete's sake... 

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