8 minute read
Harvey Mackay
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Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother took her little boy to a concert featuring the famous pianist, Paderewski. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked “No Admittance.”
When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her son was missing. Suddenly the curtains parted, and the spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway piano on stage.
In horror, the mother saw her son sitting at the keyboard. Innocently, he then began to play “Chopsticks.” The crowd reacted with disgust. Who would bring a little boy to a concert?
When Paderewski heard the uproar backstage, he grabbed his coat and rushed to the stage. Realizing what was going on, he went to the piano and reached around the little boy from behind. The master began to improvise a countermelody to “chopsticks.” As the two of them played together, Paderewski kept whispering in the boy's ear, “Keep going. Don't quit, son... don't stop... don't stop.”
Together, the old master and the little boy transformed an embarrassing situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized.
You might remember seeing a version of this story in a recent TV ad from the Foundation for a Better Life.
I learned early on, especially as a parent, that how you react to situations is huge. It’s hard not to act emotionally. That’s how our brains are wired to react. Reactions are instinctive. Resist the urge. When you react with emotions, you do and say things without thinking and don’t realize the ramifications of your comments.
Emotions can be like a ticking time bomb. Learning how to control your emotions can do wonders for your health.
Instead of reacting to these types of situations, learn how to respond and focus on the outcome rather than on the emotions. Successful people have a plan on how to respond positively and productively. Practicing self-control is a learned trait, and it pays to study hard to acquire that skill.
Change your emotions and you can change your life. Anger is an emotion that fades over time, so a good defensive strategy is to pause and create some space between your emotions and reactions. Just a few seconds can help. Why do you think teachers and parents give their children timeouts? Give yourself a timeout! If you need to, walk away or take several deep breaths to calm yourself down.
It’s also possible to train your mind to respond slower. When you slow down you feel more in control. Take a minute to put the situation in perspective. Will it really make things better if you fly off the handle?
Be aware of what triggers your reactions. Is it frustration, anger, anxiety or something else? Why did this situation occur, and could it have been avoided?
Empathy is another way to respond to situations positively. You never know what is going on in the lives of others that might cause them to behave in a certain way. A little empathy
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I have found that coaching myself and self-talk are also beneficial techniques. I try to block out negative thoughts and replace them with positive responses. I tell myself I have everything under control. That helps me avoid knee-jerk reactions that I will likely regret later.
A level head is important in both your personal and professional lives. No one wants to do business with a hothead. If your behavior is affecting your bottom line, fix it now.
I’m not saying that any of this is easy. I’m guilty of letting my emotions get the best of me sometimes. But I try to learn from those missteps and consider how I could have handled the situation better. It takes a lot of hard work to break a bad habit, but it’s worth it.
Most of us live and work in such hectic and pressure-ridden environments that it’s wise to remember the words of the psychiatrist who said to his assistant who was trying to answer two telephones at once. “Miss Smith,” he said, “just say we're terribly busy – not ‘It's a madhouse here.’”
Mackay’s Moral: Keep your cool when you’re hot under the collar.
Reprinted with permission from nationally syndicated columnist Harvey Mackay, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller “Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive,” “We Got Fired!...And It’s the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Us,” “The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World,” and “Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door.”
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Upcoming Events
THURS.-SUN., JULY 14-17 • 138th Annual Todd County Fair. See ad on page 8. JULY 14-15; JULY 17-20 • Melrose Stages, Inc. Presents "Footloose" at Marit Elliott Performing Arts Center, Melrose. July 14, 15, 18, 19, 20 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 17 at 2 p.m. SATURDAY, JULY 16 • Grey Eagle United Methodist Church Annual BBQ Luncheon from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Bake Sale from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. See ad on page 8. • Grey Eagle-Burtrum Lions Community Appreciation Picnic from 4-7:30 p.m. at the Grey Eagle Fire Hall. See ad on page 7. SUNDAY, JULY 17 • Grey Eagle-Burtrum Lions Tractor Pull at 11 a.m. at the Lions Park, Grey Eagle. See ad on page 7. WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 • Grey Eagle Senior Center Meeting at 10:45 a.m. at the center. FRI.-MON, JULY 22-25 • Upstage Players Present "Brigadoon" at the Upsala School Auditorium. July 22, 23, 25 at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 24 at 2 p.m. TUESDAY, AUGUST 2 • National Night Out from 5-7 p.m. at the Grey Eagle Lions Park. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3 • Folk & Old-Time Music & Potluck starting from 1-3 p.m. at the Village View Apartments, Grey Eagle. ALBANY TOWNSHIP • Meets the fourth Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Albany City Hall. • Planning Commission meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Albany City Hall.
BURNHAMVILLE TOWNSHIP • Meets the last Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Burtrum City Hall.
FEET FIRST CLINIC • Meets the 1st Tuesday of the month from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at Holdingford City Hall. FOOD DISTRIBUTION • Ruby’s Pantry Food Distribution first Saturday of the Month from 10-11 a.m. at River of Live Church, Sauk Centre.
FREEPORT SENIOR MEETING • Meets the third Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. with cards/Bingo/coffee/dessert.
at 7 p.m. GREY EAGLE TOWNSHIP • Meets the first Monday of the month at 8 p.m. MELROSE TOWNSHIP • Meets the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the town hall. MELROSE VFW #7050 POST/AUX. • Meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Melrose American Legion Clubrooms. STEARNS CO. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY • Meets at 7 p.m. on the 2nd Monday of the month at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Albany. SUNSHINE CLUB • Meets every Monday, weigh in starts at 8; meeting at 8:30 a.m. at the Village View Apartments, Grey Eagle. ST. ROSA CITY COUNCIL • Meets the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Community Park building. SWANVILLE CITY COUNCIL • First Tuesday after the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m. SWANVILLE TOWNSHIP • Meets the second Tuesday of the month at 8:30 p.m. at the Swanville Fire Hall. UPSALA CITY COUNCIL • Meets the first Monday of the month at 7 p.m. If you have an upcoming event or meeting, please let us know by email: htnews@icloud.com or call 320-285-2323.
Temperatures
Date High Low 7/6 73 59 7/7 82 61 7/8 81 61 7/9 81 59 7/10 77 66 7/11 77 61 7/12 85 57
