054: Simple Mind Tricks That Actually Work For Emotional Control!

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Kindness might be the most undervalued currency in our fast-paced world. This conversation explores how approaching situations with positivity can transform not just outcomes, but our entire experience.

When travel plans go awry or technology fails, our first instinct might be frustration. Yet, as personal stories reveal, treating the person behind the counter or the technician on the phone with genuine kindness consistently leads to better results. “I’ve never missed a flight,” shares one speaker, explaining how a smile and understanding attitude has gotten them onto fully booked planes—while others remained stranded.

The conversation takes a powerful turn when it shifts to perspective. A poignant story about a grandfather who spent his final hours angry over a minor workplace incident serves as a stark reminder to ask ourselves: Will this matter five years from now? The recent CrowdStrike-Microsoft incident offers another example—the technician helping you didn’t cause the problem, yet bears the brunt of customer frustration. Treating support staff with respect not only honors their humanity, but often gets your systems back online faster.

COVID taught us that we can slow down without the world falling apart. Perhaps that’s the lasting lesson we need: take a breath before reacting, recognize the humanity in others, and understand that most frustrations are temporary. Your positive attitude creates ripples far beyond the moment.

What small gesture of kindness might you offer today?

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Hi, I’m Marc Thomas, Founder and CEO of Current TEK Solutions and CYBER GUARDIANS. If you or someone you know could benefit from our cutting-edge IT and cybersecurity services, we’d love to help. Reach out to us today to learn how we can secure and elevate your business. https://www.currentTEKsolutions.com

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I know sometimes it's really hard, like sometimes we
can't control our emotions orwhatnot but just if you have
that mindset and work on it,tweak it as you go.
It's like, hey, slow down whenyou have an issue, just be nice
to these people.
Trust me, if you're going at itand just giving them a hard

(00:20):
time, it's going to take thattech more time to get you up and
running.
There's one thing actually Ithink it's also essential yeah,
and I told you I had so manybarriers and walls that I built
that actually I was strugglingto get out and just do things

(00:49):
and just being positive.
Uh, two days ago I think wewere we, we need a volleyball
urgently and we went to thestore and it's an outlet store,
that next to where we were, andI know that store is usually low
in stock and we're talking.
It was like and she's saying doyou think they'll have it?
I was like, yeah, they willhave it.

(01:10):
Let's think that they're goingto have it.
And we got to go in and theywill have it.
And just think positive, alwaysthink positive.
And we got in and it's the onlyone in the store.
Yeah, I mean they might nothave it right.
But just think positive.
You know, uh, people will comeand tell you your dress is ugly

(01:33):
or you're ugly or whatever it'slike.
You know it's gonna happen.
That's how we, that's how wegrew up.
I mean we had bullying and allthe good stuff actually helped
us to get where we are.
So I actually embrace that.
I kind of like, hey, you got tothink positive, trust yourself.
Okay, you're beautiful insideout.
Whatever the story, don't letanybody put you down.

(01:58):
Like stay positive, keep thatsmile on and just move, ask
nicely.
Every single time Miss myflight, there's another flight
that's fully booked.
I just go at the stand and Ismile and ask super nice, mark,
I've never missed the timing ona flight.
I'm always on the next one,even if they don't have seat.

(02:20):
Just because you're smiling andyou're asking nice, and the
person behind the counter or theperson you're in touch with
human being, they feel you, ifyou're gonna go and have an
attitude like I freaking missedmy flight and I have a meeting
and whatever, they're not gonnahelp you.
Just give them.
Give them the nice part they'reworking, make their life.

(02:43):
Give them the nice part they'reworking, make their life.
Give them the $10, the extra $8as a tip.
Okay, just that smile, it'sjust what it is.
How much your net worth is down?
Eight bucks, big deal, so yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
No, but you're right it goes back to, especially when
you give that example of theairline industry.
And, yes, they say we'll bothbe flying here in the next
couple of weeks, but you getinto that.
That individual at that counteris dealt with a lot of crap in
their day, let alone what'sgoing on in their own personal
life.
But they say that travel can bevery stressful.

(03:22):
We know a lot of things happenand I've watched it.
I've watched people just unloadon these people and that
person's the only person's rightthere is willing to help you.
And you just walked up and youjust laid into them and they had
nothing to do with yoursituation, right, like they just
happen to be employed by thecompany.
Right, absolutely so.

(03:43):
And I know sometimes it can bedifficult to put ourself in
check and our emotions in checkand say, hey, look, I understand
.
And a lot of times and I can beguilty, this time too I'm like
look, I know that you this, youdidn't create this problem.
I know you just have to workfor the company.
So I know it doesn'tnecessarily, if I come across
wrong, this isn't meant for you.

(04:04):
I'm just letting you know aheadof time.
It doesn't make it excusable.
But I'm just letting you knowthat, hey look, I'm very
flustered or whatever, but Iknow I'm here to talk to you
about what can we do and whatcan we make happen or what's my
options, and just talkingthrough it and, yes, trying to
be positive, trying to smile,going, hey, is it the end of the
world?
Yeah, it's an inconvenience.

(04:25):
It wasn't life or death.
No one died because they missedthe flight.
We just have to adjust.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
Yeah, slow down, back to slow down.
Just slow down before you talkand take it off on this specific
employee that really hasnothing to do with everything
that happened to you.

Speaker 2 (04:44):
yeah, that person didn't lose your luggage, that
person didn't make you miss aflight, that person didn't make
the the bulb not work in the, inthe, the restroom of the
airplane or whatever, so theycouldn't leave.
And that wasn't.
That wasn't.
They didn't have nothing to dowith that, right, so yep yep,
and it's sad how we take it oneach other's.

Speaker 1 (05:03):
And, uh, covet was sad, but it it was.
The amazing part of covet isjust taught us how we can slow
down and nothing will change.
Just slow down, take your time.
We live together.
We got to love each other.
Unfortunately, coming from acountry with so many civil war

(05:28):
and whatever, love man, loveeach other it's like what are
you trying to get out of this?
What are you trying to get outof this?
Like you're, you're mad at the,the, the cabin crew or whatever
the story is.
Which is they?

Speaker 2 (05:48):
get traveled.
There's a lot, of a lot of yousee it a lot in travel.

Speaker 1 (05:51):
Right there's just a lot of emotions.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
There's a lot of a lot of things going on there, so
yeah, they put a spice on yourfood.

Speaker 1 (05:57):
It's like, yeah, just wait 10 minutes, you're going
to eat, you're good, and I know,sometimes it's really hard,
like sometimes we can't controlour emotions or whatnot.
But just, if you have thatmindset and work on it, tweak it
as you go.
It's like, hey, slow down, slowdown.
Big one was the CrowdStrikeMicrosoft story, just think

(06:21):
about it If you're an employeeand you're mad at the tech
that's coming to fix yourproblem.
That technical person wasstruggling for the past whatever
a few hours or a few days insome certain areas and scenarios
and everybody is cussing atthis guy.
This guy didn't build crowdsright.

(06:41):
This guy didn't send the error.
This guy is trying to help you.
So when you have an issue, justbe nice to these people.
Trust me, if you're going at itand just giving them a hard
time, it's going to take thattech more time to get you up and
running.
Just shut the front door or benice and let them do their job.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
No, well said, well said, and I think we need a lot
in other elements of our life aswell, and it's not just on the
technician in our industry.
Right, you let go and face itand we need to apply that across
the board.
I know it can be very that, canbe hard at times, but you know,
to be able to, I'm going to say, step back and look at yourself
and look at the way you'rereacting to things or the things

(07:28):
you're saying and say, okay,stop.
You know how do I put apositive spin on this, maintain
a little positivity and reallyput it.
Maintain a little positivityand and really put it, I guess,
in um, well, now it's justtotally just blanked.
Um, you know, put it inperspective.

(07:49):
You know, put it in perspectivein the, in the grand scheme of
life, right, because chances aremaybe not tomorrow, but five
days from now, five weeks fromnow, five years from now.
It's not going to mean anythingat all.
We're probably not going toremember it yeah, people, why?

(08:09):
do we?
Why do we, why do we let thatconsume us today, right yeah
don't my grandfather get anissue at work?

Speaker 1 (08:17):
he came back really, really mad.
I still vividly remember him.
I was at his house and he cameback mad at work.
He went to bed, didn't wake upfor what he might have, somebody
just took his lunchbox.
I don't know what the issue was, but just if you think about

(08:37):
you basically I mean you knowit's time, but you basically
spent the last 12 hours of yourlife over.

Speaker 2 (08:49):
Somebody took your lunchbox or whatever the story
is.
Whatever the story is.

Speaker 1 (08:54):
I mean, my grandmother food wasn't that
great.

Speaker 2 (08:56):
But oh, my alright, not everyone can be a chef,
right?
So I get it absolutely alright,naz.
Well, hey, I look forward toseeing you in person here in
just a few weeks.
Let's make sure that we getsome time together to catch up

(09:17):
in person and maybe share somefood or share some conversation,
and until then, I want to thankyou for taking the time to
speak with me today to shareyour story, share and allow me
to share that with others thankyou for having me, mark.

Speaker 1 (09:35):
Uh, honestly, I love what you do.
Uh, I'm trying to do it.
I'm trying to really make timewhere I can just push a little
bit experience.
Again, we're not the smartest,we're just.
We're just learning as we goand I would love to help.
So thank you for letting meshare a little bit of my

(09:57):
horrible stories and thank youso much and looking forward to
see you.
I'm staying a whole week.
I'm not sure about you.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
Yeah, I will be there .
I think I arrive in Hollywoodon Sunday actually and I'll be
there through Sunday to Sunday.

Speaker 1 (10:15):
Oh, really yeah, I'll be there for a week Saturday.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
We'll definitely catch up Right on.
Well, hey, until then, thanksagain.
It was my pleasure having you.
We'll talk soon.
Ceo of Current Tech Solutionsand CyberGuardians.
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(10:41):
and keep everything runningsmoothly.
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