Ever feel like screaming at the stupid person who just cut you off in traffic? Ever have the urge to ream out the thoughtless staffer at the doctor's office who kept you waiting? Here's some food for thought...

On this Monday morning — when everyone is heading back to the grind and many of us are in a cranky Monday mood — just remember: You don't know what the person on the other side of your "problem" is going through. Maybe the idiot who just cruised through a red light is en route to the ER. (Yes, it happened to me. And I was the person cruising — carefully, after stopping to check for traffic — through a red light.) And the driver who didn't use a turn signal? He wasn't being thoughtless; the bulb is burned out, and he hasn't had a chance to replace it.

It's easy to get caught up in our own stuff and fail to recognize what others might be going through. On this Monday morning, take a minute to stop and consider that the person who just slighted you didn't mean anything personal. Really. It wasn't about you; it was about them. And remember, for every minute you're angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.

We're all sojourners on this glorious planet, so why not reach out today to a fellow traveler and extend a hand — without the middle finger.

How do you deal with trying situations? Leave your tips or observations in the comments section. To leave a response, click Comment(s) and fill in the Leave A Reply form.

Do you ever find yourself driving down the highway of life only to slam smack-dab into a brick wall?

Maybe you didn't get the job you wanted. Heck, maybe you didn't even get an interview. Perhaps someone criticized your work. Maybe your editor thinks your WIP needs extensive rewriting. Or maybe something you wanted so badly just didn't turn out the way you wanted.

All is not lost.

Remember, it's not the number of times we fall down in life; it's how many times we get back up to fight another battle.

Recently on NPR, I heard a guest tell a story that went something like this: A man died and arrived at the Pearly Gates, where he was received by St. Peter. Before allowing him entrance, Peter said, "Show me your scars." The man answered: "But I have no scars." And Peter replied: "How sad. Was there nothing worth fighting for?"

In a previous blog post, I referred to college professor Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture." In that lecture, I was struck by Pausch's take on obstacles:

"The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something."

So if you find yourself facing a brick wall on this Monday morning, look at that wall in a different light. It's not there to keep you from achieving what you want; it's there to give you the chance to get back up and prove how badly you want to reach that goal or achieve that dream.

Do you have a special way of meeting Mondays head on? Feel free to leave your tips or observations in the comments section. To leave a response, click Comment(s) and fill in the Leave A Reply form.