Does Your Emotion Influence Your Life Decisions?

“When you took over this company, all five of us were already working here,” Heather fights for her job. “The new owner that you are merging with is allowing you to take five of your employees and you aren’t choosing any of us?” she demands in anger.

“Yeah!” the other four add.

Marvin Gibson’s memory goes back to his decision to buy out his business partner and stop being a silent and invisible partner more than ten years ago. He journeyed back into the many times his business went under and bounced back.

There was no bouncing back this time. He had to merge to save something.

He cleared his throat, and focused on the important issues, “six months ago when I told you we will be downsizing and possible closing down, some employees interpreted that message as failure and gave up on us.”

“None of us missed a day!” Flew from Heather’s mouth.

“Yeah!” her team agreed.

“All five of you started to come in late and leave early,” he pulled them down Recall Road. “Your actions say, ‘The company is already failing, so what the heck. Why kill ourselves.’”

“We had issues to take care of,” she quickly said.

“In the past you all would notify HR and a replacement would be available and you would leave later to make up for the time,” he reminds them.

He waited for a response. None came and he continued, “The five new employees over there continued their routine as if the news they got were good news,” he said pointing to Jack, Denise, Paul, George, and Tomas to his right.

“Damn!” slid from the thoughts of Heather’s crew and she defends, “and for that you are going to punish us?”

“They did your job, without your salary,” he reminds. “Along with the mistakes you all made. That you never did, in more than ten years of employment. Why?” he asked.

Shrugging her shoulders, Heather said, “We thought you were going to close down.”

“You forgot I told you that there would be a possible merger with Shelton Industries three months later,” he reminds them.

“We had bills to pay and couldn’t live on possibilities,” Heather explains.

“Aren’t possibilities better than nothing?” Marvin asked.

Silence.

He went on, “I can only take the best with me.”

“But we have been giving you that for more than ten years,” she reminds him. “I know we were wrong to give up, but we have more experience.”

“What they did in crisis we can’t teach them, that's a positive character trait. But we can teach them what you know,” he said staring into her eyes.

She sighs deeply.

“Shelton Industries demands I take only the best with me,” he explained. “They want employees with the strength to give their best when winning or losing. That is not something humans can teach anyone. That is how life test many of us.”

“No one gives their best all of the time,” Heather says eyeing Tomas and his crew. Grinning from ear to ear.

“True,” Marvin agrees. “But everyone wants the best. The Doctors and nurses we see when we are sick, must give their best because our lives are in their hands. You demand the best from the teachers, because the success of your children sits in their ability to do a good job no matter what.”

“That’s not fair,” Heather said. “It’s different for teachers.”

“The Custodian who cleans the schools your children attend must give his best because a banana peel, he missed can cause an accident and harm or end a child’s life,” Marvin adds.

“Anybody can do,” she said

“The crossing guard crossing your children must focus because a car he didn’t see can end your child’s life. The bus driver that transports your children to and from school must give their best. Your children’s safety is important.”

“Anyone can do that too,” Heather said.

“The pharmacist that fills your children’s prescription must give her best because the wrong dosage or medication can be deadly. We demand the best from others in all areas of our lives. So why not give it?”

Five sighs followed simultaneously, and Heather turned to Toma's group and asked, “Despite the possibilities you still did your best, why?”

“Let me answer this,” Denise suggested. They nodded and she said, “certain life decisions, isn’t connected to our emotions.”

“That’s it?” she asked.

“It means they will do their best despite the circumstance or situation they face daily,” Marvin explained.

When we allow our emotions to influence certain life decisions, we are helping ourselves to fail. Life has the strangest ways of testing us. When it does, give your best. — Annelise Lords

Thank you for reading this piece. I hope you enjoy it.