Time to read: 56 seconds
Actual teen has been changed to protect privacy.
I was driving my 15-year-old to work in silence this morning. If you've lived with a teenager, you know that morning isn't their most vibrant time of day. After 15 minutes of silence, she got out of the car. I asked her a simple question which was met with the icy teen stare and something like, "Mom, you're always asking stuff like that. It's so annoying."
I pointed out to her that I had said, like, 3 words to her all morning. She responded, "Yeah, three annoying words."
Here's what's important to you about this interaction. Many times throughout your day, you are either on the giving or receiving end of your version of 3 annoying words. People say rude things to you. People respond in unpredictable ways to the things you say, and you have to clean it up.
In these moments, you have a choice.
You can get upset, make up stories about the deep implications of the interaction, and let the situation hijack your entire day (thereby killing your creativity, sucking your energy, and rendering you unproductive and crabby), or you can laugh, recognize that the interaction was nothing personal and move on to use your energy and creativity to move forward on the things you want.
The choice to ruminate or let go makes all the difference in the kind of day you'll have and how much you get done. Don't waste your time and energy creating unnecessary noise.
(Oh, and if you want some help to quiet the unnecessary noise, join the Corporate Rebel Quiet the Noise Challenge right here.)
I hope this helps!
Christina
P.S. If you find that it is hard to resist creating unnecessary noise in your work and life, join my BFF, Anne Lippin, and me for the Corporate Rebel Quiet the Noise 7-Day Challenge. Be done with wasted time and energy. Join us here.