The story below is a fun way to illustrate how shifting your perspective can transform your experience.

To get the most out of the story, read it carefully.  It will take you on an emotional roller coaster that may feel familiar.

You'll also find debriefing comments after the poem. 
Enjoy!


The Cookie Thief
A woman was waiting at the airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shop,
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see,
That the man beside her, as bold as could be,
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene

She read, munched cookies, and watched the clock,
As the gutsy "cookie thief" diminished her stock
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I'd blacken his eye!"

With each cookie she took, he took one too.
When only one was left, she wondered what he'd do.
with a smile on his face and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, and he ate the other.
She snatched it from him and thought, "Oh brother,
This guy has some nerve, and he's also so rude,
Why, he didn't even show any gratitude!"

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate,
Refusing to look at the "thieving ingrate."

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat,
Then sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise.
There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes!

"If mine are here," she moaned with despair.
"Then the others were his, and he tried to share!"
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!!!

-Anonymous


What can we take away from this story?

The next time you find yourself getting upset at someone else - a client, a coworker, etc. - stop and ask yourself:
  • Do I have all the information I need to draw a conclusion?  If not, what additional information might be helpful?
  • Is there another way to look at this situation?
  • What is the other person's perspective about this situation?

It often happens that we can't gather all needed information until later, like when the woman boarded the plane. 

Let this be a reminder to stay open. 

Remember: you don't know what you don't know. 
And when you find out, it may be too late.

By stepping out of our habitual way of looking at situations, we can transform our experience.