Understanding and accepting question

PookDoo71

Hello

I am new to buddhism and I have a unique situation that I need advice on. Let me explain. I am a married 43 year old guy who works a lot because my wife is disabled and unable to get any kind of assistance. Most weeks I put in sixty to eighty hours a week. Which I admit I don't mind because I like being busy. Recently I have begun studying Buddhism as well as adopting a minimalistic lifestyle.I have limited my television time from a lot to almost nothing. Maybe a half hour to an hour a day if that. Mostly to check the weather and news. I find I enjoy reading more now than I ever have.
So here is my question. I work for a major cable company and daily I take calls from people every day angry over how their cable isn't work and that they can't live without it. I have gotten yelled at by people with sometimes seven televisions in the house that one isn't working.Any suggestions on how to deal with this as not to let it
get to me?

vinlyn

I love my movies, so my cable/internet bill is just over $200 per month. I'm paying big money, so why shouldn't I expect it to work properly? That's your job...so I would look at that job as improving people's daily lives. A very positive thing.

Now, as to the idea that they can't live without cable, we all know that's not true. But that's their problem.

Talisman

Just take it in stride, friend. I am a debt colelctor for medical bills. I get yelled at constantly by poeple whose lives were saved by the products we are collecting on. I mean really, how much is someone's life worth?

nlighten

I can relate to your situation and it can definitely be hard sometimes. My advice to you is to not let any of your experiences go to waste, whether they be good or bad ones. In your description of your work, you can see how having attachments to something like television can cause people(like your customers) suffering and cause other people (like you) to suffer also. Also, think of why it bothers you so much that they are mad and yell at you? Is it because you take it personally?
are they mad at you? or the fact that they can not have their attachment? Also, compassion, which I'm sure you have a lot of, can also be very helpful. Think of how their anger is just a manifestation of their suffering.

Hope that helps.

ihbryant

Try to remind yourself that they are probably angry about more things in thier life than just their television. This is just one thing in their life that they think they can do something about - namely yell at you.

Speaking with them calmly and helping them with their problem will help reduce the suffering in their lives. Remember that even if you solve their problem quickly, the true cause of their suffering will still be there, and they still might be angry with you. Compassion is the key to learning to live with this situation. People are not going to quit yelling at you, no matter how wrong they are.

devwil

"Hostilities aren't stilled by hostility, regardless. Hostilities are stilled by non-hostility: this, an unending truth." - Dhammapada 5