Prior to my exposure to the Mandt philosophy I was a bit of a Type A, task master, time cruncher person who was more concerned with my feelings and actions than those of others around me. Now that I have been training Mandt for years, the Mandt philosophy has changed the way I act, think, and view life–for the better! Here’s an example. I am currently sitting in an airport. My flight has a 3 hour delay, which means I will miss my connection, which means I will not make it home this morning. Instead, it is looking like I will get home somewhere between 5-6 tonight (at least 7 hours later than originally planned).
The old Dale would be frustrated and that would probably be taken out on others around me (like hotel staff, airline staff at airport, etc.). Rather than get frustrated and take it out on others, when I found out a little after 3 am this morning (yes, some people are awake at that time) that my flight had a 3 hour delay, I tried to use my airline’s phone app to rebook the earliest flight home. It would not let me. Realizing that I had just woke up and may be doing something wrong, I called the airline for assistance in rebooking. The person on the phone found the same flight I was trying to get on and also could not get me booked on it. Turns out one of the connections was going to have an 11 hour delay. Instead they were able to set up the plans I am currently operating on. Since it was just after 3:30 in the morning I figured I could get some more sleep. Before doing that, however, I remembered I had to change the return time on the rental car. I was able to use the rental company’s phone app to change the time with no additional fees. With that, I tried to get another hour or two of sleep.
While I may not have really had any restful sleep, I was able to lay in bed and relax. The flight delay also meant that I would be able to eat breakfast at the hotel (my original flight plans had me leaving before hotel breakfast time and left no real meal time until lunch). When I made it to the airport, without having to rush, the agent at the luggage check in was dealing with a problem not connected to my flight. After seeing her handle several phone calls (in a rather calm, professional manner), it was my turn. She was a bit frazzled, but by the time we were finished we were both laughing.
I am now sitting at the gate waiting for my flight, which has given me time to write this blog. Also, while my late arrival time home means I will not make it to our cottage during the daytime, a good friend who lives out of state just texted he will be in town and would like to meet for dinner.
So, my flight delay could create a terrible day. Or, I could get some extra sleep, eat breakfast, laugh with people, and see a friend I haven’t seen in a while. So, thank you Mandt System for helping me see that the Mandt philosophy is something that we should take into our everyday life, not just work! Learning how to affirm my feelings and choose my behaviors has really improved my quality of life!
Dr.Dale Shannaon – Mandt Faculty
