What Do You Do When People Behave Badly?

By Joyce M. Averils, JD
Coach/Speaker/Seminar Leader

I was so excited. A womens conference was being held in a nearby city and a speaker/author I have always wanted to hear was one of the featured speakers. I registered right away and arrived early on the morning she was scheduled to speak.

The conference was wonderful and all of the speakers were great. My speaker was just awesome and I could not wait to meet her and tell her that.

Right after she finished speaking, I went out to her table and purchased her latest book. As she was sitting beside her book table, I handed her my book and said, "Your message was awesome." Silence. I repeated my statement and still nothing. She did not look up at me; she did not ask my name or anything else. She signed my book and handed it back to me, without even a smile.

My first thought was to give her that book back and demand a refund. My next thought, however, was that I really would not feel any better by being as rude as the speaker had been. So, I said a quick prayer for her and for me, then went to lunch!

Upon later reflection, I was reminded that people do not always behave the way we want them to or expect them to. As a matter of fact, I am not always as kind and gracious as I should be. I suspect that you are not either.

So, when you are on the receiving end of someone behaving badly, what do you do? First, forgive them. For all I know, perhaps I reminded the speaker of her crazy cousin or something. Maybe the woman who spoke with her before me said something that upset her. Whatever the reason, when someone does not do or say something you want them to, choose to forgive them so that when you do the same, others will forgive you as well.

Next, forget about it! Once upon a time, I might have sought the speaker out for further explanation, in person or in writing. That reaction, however, only prolongs a bad memory. Once this article is finished, I have no intention of dwelling on this incident. If you find yourself in a similar situation, decide what is best for you - stewing over the person's bad behavior or forgetting it and focusing on the good stuff instead.

Finally, move on. In the big scheme of things, this little incident is not really that important. You and I are busy women who are much too busy to get caught up in "being done wrong." So when that happens, move on to your next great adventure, big dream or worthy goal as quickly as you can.

? 2006 Joyce M. Averils

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine? No problem! But here is what you MUST include: Joyce M. Averils, is a Life Coach and author of the free email mini-course, ?The 5 Most Common Fears That Stop Women From Realizing Their Full Potential & How to Overcome Them?, www.fivemostcommonfears.com. To sign up for her free ?21 Days to a New Habit Workbook? and how-to articles, visit www.shesgotpotential.com/resources.htm.