Fluster Busters at Work
Have you ever had a day when nothing went right? The coffee machine blew up? The fax machine jammed?
Your computer wouldn’t boot up? You couldn’t retrieve your email? And, how about that psychic copy
machine? Last night, you had worked so hard to finish that rush report before the five o’clock
pickup . . . all you had left to do was make copies. . . and the copy machine wouldn’t cooperate.
So what did you do? Slap it? kick it? Call it a nasty name? You know, I truly believe that copy
machines have memories like elephants; they are gray and they never forget. And they will get even
with you for every bad thing you have ever said or done to them!
When I first walk into the office in the morning, I say to my copy machine, "Good morning. My, you
look god in gray!" As I give it a hug, I say, "We have a lot of work to do today, and I know you
will do a good job." When I press the Warming button, I always encourage my copier with a cheer.
"With a C with an O with a P with a Y, with a C O P Y, rah, rah, rah." I jump up in the air,
clapping my hands. That’s the really fun part.
Now, I know you probably wouldn’t DO this. But I want you to THINK about doing it. As you visualize
this little exercise, you will start laughing . . . I guarantee it. Use it to "bust" other
irritations you feel at the office and stop them from "flustering" you.
A word of caution: After hearing one of Power of Laughter programs, a secretary actually did
this little exercise. Her boss told me that everyone around her wondered if she was under too
much stress and started to come undone. So it’s advisable to use this Fluster Buster only in
your imagination.