Hi Anita,

Thanks for your comment! I do actually expect perfection from myself much of the time,and I can beat myself up about that if I feel I’ve fallen short, as everyone does from time to time. In personal relationships, it’s hard NOT to take things personally, even keeping in mind that everyone is living and acting from the place of their own stories and situations, but in dealing with the public, I do try to let it go after the workday. Which is still not always easy, but at least if I know I approached the interaction from a place of kindness and patience, I can feel better about it (and show my boss it was not my fault if it turned into a “thing” with a patron.)

Your comment was also interesting, because in my personal life, I am moving on from a very imperfect long-term relationship that made me feel very worthless and incompetent and full of self-doubt, and even though it has only been a few short months, I have such a different perspective on what is an acceptable way to treat a person who is supposed to be one of your most cherished loved ones, and what is not acceptable, and should be walked away from so that healing can begin. I actually have been using a “Prayer of Release” to help me move forward. That situation lasted for so many years, that it will take me a long time to process that relationship from my new perspective.

As I am making new friends and forging new relationships, it is definitely useful to remember that there is always some motion happening and some days, interactions may feel really in sync and other days, it may feel like the other person was a little distant or disengaged, or maybe I was feeling that way, and be aware that it’s normal and not take it personally.