Don’t Make People Wish You Would Just Go Home!

Don’t Make People Wish You Would Just Go Home! - Robert Rohm - / -

Early one morning, I pulled into a drive-thru restaurant to get my morning coffee and breakfast. I placed my order and was told, “Please pull around to the first window.”

I started to pull around so I could pay at the first window, then move ahead to get my breakfast at the second pick-up window. It isn’t a very complicated process. However, everything seemed to be backed up and moving very slowly. When I finally got to the first window to pay, no one was there. I was not sure what to do. I was still waiting to pay when the car in front of me pulled away from the pick-up window. Finally, the lady at the second window leaned out and motioned for me to pull forward. I pulled forward and told her that I had not yet paid because no one was at the first window to take my money. She rolled her eyes and said, “I know. We are having a few challenges today!” I see these same people often, so I asked if the person who is usually at the first window had gotten sick and gone home. The woman smiled and said, “I wish she would just go home!” I quickly realized there was some kind of conflict going on inside among the employees. I paid, got my food and left.

As I was driving away, I thought about what had just transpired and about the fact that I never want to be someone who others are standing around saying, “I wish he would just go home.” You know exactly what I am talking about. We have all worked with people we dreaded to see coming our way. They are negative, critical, individuals who often carry a chip on their shoulder, have a bad attitude, know everything, and have 1001 other issues. They drain the life out of you because everything they do adds more work, disharmony, tension and stress to your environment. It really would be better if they “would just go home”. It would make me sad if I thought other people felt that way about me! I know I cannot control what other people say about me behind my back. However, I can control the way I treat other people, and that is what matters most!

Of course, anyone of us can have a bad day now and then. But, when we are discouraged or perhaps unkind to other people, it really does not help anything. Having a disagreeable, poor attitude hurts other people in your environment. It does not help others to have a better day. In fact, it only makes matters worse for everyone. At times like that, we must try to remember that life is not just about us; it involves others with whom we interact every day. I realize that some individuals are not very people-oriented and prefer to work alone. However, there will still be times when it is necessary to interact with other people. That is when you need to work extra hard to be the kind of person who lifts others up instead of pulling other people down.

I have been around people who have lost a family member or someone they have been close to and heard them say, “Life really is easier now that they are finally gone.” They were not saying that because of a difficult physical challenge they may have been required to deal with that took a lot of time and effort. Most people can handle those kinds of issues. It is typically said of someone who was so negative, critical, mean-spirited and sharp-tongued that everyone is relieved when they are finally gone! I know that is a horrible thing to say, yet you and I both know that it is true.

I hope and pray that at my funeral, people will not be standing around saying, “I’m glad he is finally gone!” I want to live my life in such a way that the daily contributions I make to other people will be sorely missed! Don’t you?

This week, let’s all focus on being encouragers and helpers so people will be glad that we showed up for life and work and new opportunities. Live your life in such a manner that people do not wish that they could just get away from you! After all, you don’t want to be the kind of person that people say, “I wish they would just go home!”

Tip: Don’t make people wish you would just go home! Have a great week! God bless you! Dr. Robert A. Rohm

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