I walked on a busy downtown street and heard a man berating someone through a nextel phone. He was very angry with directions he was given. How did I know this? He took out his frustrations for all the area to hear. I was 10 feet away and I could hear and feel his anger. On top of wondering why he would choose to allow everyone to listen to him tear-down another human being over a phone line, I wondered just how his next few weeks were going to be. If his stress level was this high for getting the wrong information from a colleague, just how high would it go when the days of the holiday season become busier, and there is even more pressure to get “all the year end” activities and work jammed in.
I was pondering this when The Very Reverend Mark David Janus walked into the studio I am privileged to call my own for an hour a week. Our topic on WJRW AM1340s Vision Grand Rapids this week was “how do we make scrooge disappear.” Father Mark is the rector at the Cathedral of Saint Andrews in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His connects with people through his soft voice and calming influence. He Believes.
Father Mark share’s his beliefs with an open heart and open arms. He believes all of us in our effort to work hard can miss the anticipation that comes with the season. We miss the point of the hustle and bustle by complaining about it instead of seeing it as a way to embrace the moments, share new experiences and tell others we love them.
Father Mark’s work is Love. It also happens to be Peace and Hope. My work is talking / speaking and connecting others so their work is more effective. To talk about “love” goes against the grain of day to day work. We’re not supposed to cross that line are we?
Today I did.
I asked Father Mark about my love for new technology and the fear that technology is overtaking our face to face connections. Father Mark doesn’t worry: “Technology is just a new way to connect - it doesn’t replace people. Young people have a way of being much more intimate than we ever thought of as older adults because of the technology they use. That doesn’t mean a bad connotation. It means they open up to their friends more. The truth is for those who have over 300 friends on Facebook or Linked In, we need to ask if they are true friends. No one can have that many true friends. Some of us are lucky to be able to call one person a true friend. The outreach across miles and time is important and can open new ways for us to connect with people who need us and who we need just as much in return - in both our daily work and life.”
So why is it ok to bring passion to the workplace but not love? We can feel passionate for the people who help us succeed. But, to say we love them and we want to help them succeed is a bit of a stretch. It’s just not what we do.
In the movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” Angel Second Class Clarence explains to George that he never really saw how important his life was to others until he had the chance to see it with new eyes. He saw how people really felt about him and that made the difference in his internal frustrations about work and life.
That’s what we all need. We need others to share their stories with us and we need to share our stories with them. If you see someone and you later think, “I wish I would have told them how much I appreciated their work on the project last March,” That is your sign to reach out. Write a note, call or tell them face to face. We can remove Scrooge from the holiday and from our workplace. If we get frustrated, we need to take a deep breath and think ahead before we speak angrily or in a demeaning manner. If we feel overwhelmed we need to ask for help or delegate tasks. If someone helps you become more productive, thank them and give them the recognition they deserve.
Father Mark took time in his work to talk with me. His work is teaching Love, Hope and Peace. Ours can be too.
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