“What’s your pet peeve?”
It’s a question Matt Lauer asked in his interview with America’s 100 Most Influential People this morning on the Today Show. And you know what? They all had one—some even had two or more.
And so do you. Me, too.
Here’s the thing, though: if we aren’t careful, when we come crashing into someone who’s living out our pet peeve in living color, we can slip from being gal who’s bothered to a gal who’s got a big fat attitude problem.
I know because it nearly happened to me this morning.
The weight class I try to attend every Wednesday morning ended two minutes early to allow time to put away our barbells, hand weights, steps and mats—quite a load of equipment, to say the least. We looked like a bunch of overburdened pack mules carrying all our junk. As usual, the folks taking the spin class (which follows the weight class) made their way into the room, vying for bikes, moving them into place with no regard for those of us who were trying desperately to put away our equipment without a) hitting someone with all our stuff or b) getting hit by someone else’s stuff. One woman was so intent on getting her bike into her favorite spot that she nearly ran over not one, but two women in her path.
By now you’ve figured out one of my pet peeves.
Can I take down my guard for just a minute, be real, and tell you that a secret part of me wanted to take my 25 pound barbell and hit her? Hard.
Fortunately (for her) she stayed clear of me.
I was so bugged I complained to the instructor. Then I complained to the club manager. To be clear, I was nice. Really, I was. I thought getting the complaint off my chest would make me feel better, but it didn’t. Instead, it just made me more aware of other stuff that bugs me. (Can anyone say PMS?)
While driving away from the gym I became aware of my attitude, and more important, the state of my soul. For lack of a better word, “Yucky” pretty much sums it up. I felt yucky on the inside and wondered if others thought I behaved yucky on the outside. I may not be one of America’s 100 most influential people, but this much is for sure: my attitudes influence my actions, my joy and my influence on those around me.
Alone in my car, I gave myself a good talking to right out loud (because sometimes we need to hear the truth, not just think it).“You have got to change your attitude or this day will go from bad to worse.” And since it was only 10:30 am I was pretty motivated to change the course of my day. I whispered a prayer for help and forgiveness. I told God how grateful I am that He loves someone as deeply flawed as me.
So there you have it: real life for a girl who loves God, but who is SO in process in following her perfect God in the midst of all her imperfections.
So what’s your pet peeve? Does it trip you up? Does it merely bug you or do you sometimes allow it to move your attitude from bothered to bad? Do you have a way to overcome it? I’d love to know and so would the rest of us who live in the real world.
Heavens knows I could use the help.
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