How to go postal

Last night we got 2 or 3 inches of snow.  A storm from the West and a storm from the South collided over us.  One storm front carrying snow, the other one rain. Welcome to the largest slushy machine known to man.  The heavy, wet snow clogged my snow blower and it was really challenging to shovel.  Not bad if you want to test your fitness level. 

Half way into the shovel-thon, we had a visitor, a young nurse that cares for my elderly in-laws.  She parked the car on the street, in front of our mailbox.  I didn't think anything of it.  I said hello to her and continued to pile up slushy snow wherever I could.  Ten minutes went by and the mailman stopped by.  He couldn't reach the mailbox because of the nurse's car. 

He waved, and I walked up to him.  I know he does not have the obligation to deliver the mail if there is an obstacle in his way. I smiled and thanked him.  Then I looked at his face.  He was looking at me the same way I look at my dog when she barfs on the carpet.  It was a mixture of utter disgust and the stone cold killer look of Clint Eastwood.

I grabbed the mail from his hand and I thanked him again.  He did not say a word, his face did not flinch.  It was as if I was not there. The man could only see himself and his issue in this situation. His expression went from anger to the most profound self pity as he started to drive away.  

Why some people feel so miserable when facing small issues while others can go through almost any type of ordeals with a smile on their face?  Maybe WHY is the wrong question to ask.  It is HOW that matters, it is a more insightful question.  The answers to WHYs can be accusatory.  The answers to HOWs are about process and they may offer solutions. If a process leads to the wrong results, you can change it.  The older I get the more I like HOWs and I care less about WHYs. But I digress...

Here is the process of becoming miserable:

Focus like a laser beam on a very small aspect of your life.  Let's say delivering the mail,  keeping a manicured lawn, clean carpets, kitchen, toilets, leaving work not a second past 5 pm, etc. Your choice. The least meaningful the goal is to others, the most potential it has to make you miserable.

Every time there is any type of interference, interruption or difficulty relative to achieving your goal, find a way to make the event personal in a negative way.   The interference is there because people don't care about you. That MUST BE because they think that they are BETTER than you.  That would be a simple way to get really upset.  The more you can make it personal the better.

Now, replay these bad thoughts and feelings over and over.  You got to admit that delivering the mail has potential, since you could find something wrong three or four times a minute easily. Eight hours of this could make anyone batty.   If a thought comes into your mind that people are having a hard time removing the slushy snow, please discard the thought!.  Anything that gives you a broader perspective has to be squashed right away.

When you go back to the post office, look at the body language of your coworkers.  Find the most miserable looking ones and mingle with them.  Retell your bad day in excruciating detail and maybe your coworker can help you discover an even nastier way to look at your day.  Focus on negativity and how you are a helpless victim.  Hey, tomorrow you may be able to make yourself even more miserable.  Practice, practice, practice.  You could be just a few weeks away from going postal!