This Dharma Thought on Bossiness is offered by Steve Allison-Bunnell with the Joining Rivers Sangha.
I am in recovery from a life-long tendency toward bossiness. Being able to clearly see how things could be quickly becomes a burning desire for how things should be. And from that, telling others how they must do their work inevitably follows. I’ve talked before about the wonderful experience of deep, focused awareness while working on a recycled building materials project at Home ReSource’s annual Spontaneous Construction event in Missoula. But the trap waiting for me has always been the compulsion to micro-manage the rest of my team/family. This year, I had the added joy of watching them work with their own focus and great skill, and to use my mindfulness to pause and simply enjoy what they were doing. It was so refreshing to feel free from bossiness! And that energy helped us all to be satisfied with what we built. Where do you feel yourself being bossy instead of collaborative? What do you do to have confidence in others?
