One of my tasks at work Thursday was putting together a bookshelf. I had never put a bookshelf together by myself before, but this didn't look too hard (I had helped pick it and order it) and it would be a good experience, so I opened the box and started pulling the Styrofoam protective pieces out. Here was the first "challenge:" several pieces of the Styrofoam had been partially crushed and the tiny balls that it separated into were sticking to everything! My hands, my clothes, the shelf pieces, the plastic, and my hair. So my hair went up into a bun and I resumed the task at hand with little balls still sticking everywhere. I think I might have looked like a dalmatian by the end of it had I not stopped to brush myself off numerous times. "Oh well, I can choose to not let these little things bother me," was the thought that went through my head.
When I had the bookshelf almost completely together I realized that I had put one piece on wrong and would have to disassemble most of the project in order to fix it. Hmm...another opportunity to choose to be cheerful--I was able to have the good experience of putting the bookshelf together twice!
I actually enjoyed putting the bookshelf together and am thankful for the opportunity, experience, and reminder to choose to control my attitude! And now the back room of the office is more organized too!
