Good morning gentle readers. The turning of Fall has begun here on the west coast. The last few days of brilliant sunshine have been tempered by early morning fog that has taken a while to burn off. Rain returns to us by the weekend. And so as the seasons turn, so do our lives. I’ve been struck recently how old wounds can be opened, wounds though long healed suddenly resurface and the heart can break all over again. What the psychologists call “complexes” can be triggered and take us for a ride once more. For example, in a working relationship, a perceived betrayal might hit us very hard if we have experienced betrayal on a personal level in the past. Our response to the present act or omission may well be filled with emotional connections that are rooted in the previous betrayal in a very complex manner.

The bad news is that we actually have no control over the feelings; they are what they are, and we ride the wave they create. The good news is that we can ride the wave consciously, if we work at it. If you find yourself having a strong emotional response to behaviour in the work place ask yourself some questions;

1. Where have I had this emotional response before?
2. What is similar between the situation then and the situation now?
3. What were the lessons I learned back then, and how are they applicable now?
4. What is the most helpful (for all concerned) response to this situation?

A conscious and healthy response in the midst of a complex emotional reaction will be respected and remembered. And you’ll feel a lot better for it. Even as the seasons turn.

May this week one of conscious response for each of us.