I love my business. I love my clients. Most of the time. But every once in a while, clients get angry, confused, demanding—even scary. (You may insert “boss” or “colleagues” here as well.)
Whether the issue is a misunderstanding about deliverables, or a project that has come up against difficulties and delays, a client can seem to go from best friend to worst enemy in the duration of a ten-minute phone call. When a client is upset, our first instinct might be to sigh and hope the whole thing blows over. Or to feel defensive, offended over the injustice of it all. Or maybe even to panic. It’s so tempting at such a moment to entertain negative thoughts about “these people” and their crazy demands.
Through my study of Christian Science, I have learned a way to calm these particular tempestuous seas. I stop, remove myself to someplace quiet (often only in thought, but sometimes to a sunny chair), and establish again what my real job is. OK, let’s be honest—it is often after a combination of the above responses first, but I get there eventually! I remind myself that my main desire at work is to identify what every client really needs, and do my best to supply it. I know then that my best effort is spent in knowing that God, Mind, is speaking to each of us, at all times.
