🌱 How you’re BEING (The Customer Support Test)

Let’s be real.

Things rarely go how we think they will.

And when they don’t… we get a choice between:

1. This stinks

2. Welp, not how I thought it would go, but let’s keep going!

Here’s how to choose the second one.

Here’s your 3 insights in 3 minutes.

🤔 Quote

I’m convinced this single quote is the key to everything you want in life.

“It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

— ― Epictetus

😡 The Customer Support Test

A few hours before my dentist appointment this week I got a message saying my dental insurance wasn’t activated. (How fun!)

So I called the number on the back of the insurance card and started talking to customer service.

This was in between meetings on a jam packed day.

Andddd I wasn’t getting the outcome I wanted with this rep.

However… I stayed pleasant. Even playful with her. (her name was Angel)

Sure I could’ve gotten frustrated with Angel.

But it wasn’t her fault.

Even if it WAS her fault… me getting frustrated would be a complete waste of energy.

So instead I only gave love and playfulness. I then got the dental stuff sorted out shortly after.

It seem to resonate with her because later that afternoon I received this text:

This is emotional regulation in the wild. It’s a superpower. A younger me (aka 6 months ago) would’ve thought I was too important to waste my time and gotten super frustrated with all this.

Like anything else, we can practice this. Feel the emotion… and then make a different choice.

And use any circumstance as a new opportunity to practice.

Are you just reacting based on emotions? Or responding based on a choice aligned to your values?

It's not what happens to you. It's how you react.

🧠 Satisficer

This book rewired my brain.

From maximizer to → satisficer.

I used to think "satisficer" meant settling (yuck!).

It doesn't.

A satisficer still has a standard of quality. They make a quick, informed decision and move on.

A maximizer wastes all their energy finding what's optimal and inevitably runs out of steam through overanalysis.

While satisficers get the magical M word... Momentum.

My goal? Maximize the number of satisficers out there.

Though I'm satisfied with this newsletter for now and moving on. :)

Salud,
Mitchell

Ps. The book is The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less by Barry Schwartz.