“Sir, you need to come over here and have a seat,” the screener said, grabbing my arm and tugging me to a chair. “Well, they were right,” I growled under my breath, thinking back on my friend’s warning about the tightness of this airport’s security.

“Have a seat,” the screener said gruffly before turning and calling over his shoulder, “Has anyone checked the dog yet?” Check the dog? You haven’t even checked me yet! I thought, my frustration growing.

Before anyone bothered frisking me, a screener approached and ran her fingers under Carson’s harness, apparently searching for a rocket propelled grenade launcher or something. Since when does a black lab Seeing Eye dog pose a bigger threat than a human?

All at once, I was hit with the need to mouth off! (Note to reader: Having a sharp tongue is a sure way to guarantee you will NOT make your flight on time!)

“You get a lot of blind terrorists coming through here?” I asked cynically. “Its not like the dog can hide a machine gun under his leash!” The screener tried to recover with a lame explanation he’d obviously dreamed up right there on the spot.

“Uh, well, it’d be pretty easy for someone to pretend they’re blind and sneak something onto a plane by using a dog,” he blurted. Yeah right… I wasn’t buying it.

After the search, I continued on to the gate, still angry at the screener for what I presumed to be an unnecessary violation. Normally, I welcome the airport security checkpoints… after all, they are only trying to keep passengers like myself safe. So, were the two extra minutes of security more insulting than the scores of other trips I’ve made through airports? Not really, so why was I so angry?

In a flash, the answer hit me! The only reason I felt violated was because I believed the security horror stories I’d heard before ever stepping foot into the airport. I bristled at the screeners not because of what they actually did, but because I’d been told that the process was invasive. Since I wholeheartedly believed what others had said about security, I expected the worst. The supposed scrutiny became a self-fulfilling prophecy simply on the basis of opinion.

Have you ever had your actions altered by the beliefs of others? You refuse to try a new restaurant because you’ve heard the service is terrible, or you don’t read a book because you were told the author isn’t talented? What about when meeting new people? Has a friend ever given you their opinion of someone you are about to meet and, after being introduced, you immediately start noticing all the negative traits that were originally pointed out?

We never expect those we care about to steer us in a bad direction, right? Chances are, loved ones aren’t trying to manipulate our feelings just so they align with theirs.

Be aware that the downside of seeking advice can be that we end up blindly accepting another’s view without gathering facts for ourselves. Had I reserved judgment about the security, I could have saved myself some frustration. Instead, I bought into the opinions of others hook, line and sinker, which only ended up getting me into a bad mood.

My challenge is to give credence to other’s views, but reserve judgment until you have had an opportunity to experience the person or situation first hand. Allowing the negative opinions of others to taint your outlook can cause a normal experience to quickly spiral downward and leave you seeing red. If you enter a situation expecting the worst, chances are, you’ll find just that!

Marcus Engel
http://www.MarcusEngel.com