Remember Etch a Sketch, the fun drawing toy for kids? Whether your drawing was great or awful, all
you had to do was turn it upside down and shake and everything vanished, you got to start over.
And how does that relate to anything in particular? Think of a situation where someone said something
unkind to you. It’s so easy to feel anger and resentment, quite often justifiably so. Regardless of the
circumstances, staying angry is a drain on your sanity, energy and happiness; it’s just not worth it. A
more logical alternative to negative and hurtful responses would be to imagine your feelings on an Etch
a Sketch. The emotions are there just long enough for you to turn it upside down and shake. Then you’re
ready to face the person or situation without any residue of resentment.
Now imagine the same negative situation where someone said something they shouldn’t have said. You
feel the same emotions, but instead of a kid’s writer that allows us to shake away the memory and
remain open, we write our emotions in India ink, the indelible, water-proof ink that has incredible
lasting power. You start to feel resentment and you allow it to simmer until it boils over, and it’s there
forever, ruining your day and week and year.
It takes effort to make smart choices; it’s so much easier to whine, resent and remember. We can
choose to be righteous and display our disappointments and anger like a badge of honor (ever know
someone who went around the office in a constant state of martyrdom?) or, we can shake up the
disappointment and move on to a fresh day and new opportunities. As always, the choice is ours.
