The Remote Control of Life

The year was 2006 and I was working as a lead trainer in an organization. My personal life was a little turbulent at that point in time and in addition to that another trainer with whom I was working on a project was really giving me a hard time. It reached a point where I felt totally helpless and devastated. During then, I was supposed to get a presentation reviewed by my learning head. As we started the meeting and I had just started taking her through my presentation, she said, “Atul. Stop. What is bothering you?” I replied, “Nothing, I am fine.” Just when I was supposed to go back to my presentation, she said, “Let us take a break. I am hungry. Let’s go to the food court. My treat.” We went to the food court and sat there for two hours. I just vented out all my emotions and felt so relieved. All the while she kept listening empathically. Towards the end she said, “Atul, you are a person who uses his heart more than your mind. It is easy for you to get hurt this way. Do you think you can let the remote to your emotions in your hands only? No one has the right to take that remote from you. As a human being we do get affected by the people we work with and the circumstances around us. It is during these times that you need to develop more resilience and bounce back. You train people in customer service for all this- implement it on your life”. And remember.. the remote is in your hands.”

It has been a decade to this incidence and I have kept the remote in my hands! I think we unconsciously pass on the remote to others and then feel hurt. Let’s keep it in our hands.