It almost makes you want to call in sick.<\/p>\n
![\"IMG_9610\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/580\/2015\/12\/IMG_9610-e1449460126761-682x1024.jpg\" "\\"David")
<\/a>We feel vulnerable<\/h1>\nI was thinking about California and that office complex. The staff had cubicles while the managers were scattered in the outer offices with windows. There was likely a break room and water dispenser. The good ones came in and do their work. And there were a few trouble makers, those who complained about fairness and workload.<\/p>\n
With a few variables, this sounds like your workplace.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s what makes this troubling on many levels. With terrorism and general evil, we are suddenly feeling vulnerable.<\/p>\n
In the past, it was dark alleys and certain parts of town that crime occurred. We never imagined that our schools, churches and workplaces would be targets.<\/p>\n
My workplace has an \u201cactive shooter\u201d protocol. It used to be nuclear bombs, tornados and fire drills. Now we have to think about what do if someone is walking doorway to doorway looking for targets. \u00a0\u201cRun-Hide-Fight\u201d is a three pronged principle.<\/p>\n
President Obama had a special address l<\/a>ast night from his office. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid,\u201d he said. \u00a0Without addressing the root cause of the fear, I almost felt like it was only discouraged those who are genuinely afraid. We have been put down before, accused of being hateful, even prejudice for our fears.<\/p>\nMaking fun of people isn\u2019t the most advisable thing to do when they are afraid.<\/strong>\u00a0They need to be reassured. They want leadership. They want to feel safe. I said this after Paris. \u201cNo one wants to hear they are being irrational when every fiber in their body is twitching and their brains are on overload.\u201d<\/p>\nOur fears are being fed by a steady diet of fear from our senior leadership, the media, and nearly every politician.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s face it. Fear sells. It sells both liberal and conservative agendas. It sells ideas. It sells gun. It sells your soul.<\/strong><\/p>\nAnd if you are like me, fear is debilitating. It keeps me up at night. It keeps me from living in freedom. It cages me, keeping me from the blessing of a life well lived.<\/p>\n
So here are three attitudes I\u2019m going to take to work.<\/strong><\/p>\nI won\u2019t play into the media hype<\/h1>\n
It seems like the world has gone crazy, and on many levels it has. But watching too much television and spending too much time on Facebook affects me. It creates broad generalities in my mind and I find myself swept up in hysteria.<\/p>\n
The problem is that every workplace homicide is magnified by the news cycle, the Internet and social media. Suddenly, it seems like there are more and more of these incidents. They aren\u2019t. <\/a>In 1992, there were 1044 homicides in the workplace. Last year, there 403. \u00a0There\u2019s two times the chance I\u2019ll die from a slip or trip at work than from a homicide.<\/p>\nIn 1993, there were seven homicides by firearm for every 100,000 Americans, according to\u00a0a Pew Research Center analysis<\/a>\u00a0of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 2013, that figure had fallen by nearly half, to 3.6 \u2014 a total of\u00a011,208 firearm homicides<\/a>.<\/p>\nI\u2019m just saying don\u2019t get pulled into the hype of fear.<\/p>\n
Jeff Dvoskin, a senior psychologist with the Threat Assessment Group, says, \u201cwe tend to over-generalize from things presented to us most vividly.\u201d He also says we are \u201cmisled about real versus perceived risks \u2013 pretty significantly.\u201d<\/p>\n
I won\u2019t start distrusting my coworkers<\/h1>\n
It seems like every workplace has one. The brooder. The guy who drives a beat up pickup. The one whose whole life is a mystery. He is unkempt, has no close friends at work, and rarely gives a clue to his thoughts or emotions.<\/p>\n
I am not about to start treating him like the next one to go off. I\u2019m going to find ways to enage him, to talk to him, to extend him kindness.<\/p>\n
And there are those in my workplace, and yours as well, that don\u2019t look like you or act like you. Because someone is different doesn\u2019t mean they are dangerous. I know in many situations I\u2019ve been the guy that people wondered about.<\/p>\n
Banning loners, or Christians, or Muslims, or bald guys, or men with beards or Far Right or Far Left people won\u2019t stop evil.<\/p>\n
I won\u2019t become a slave to what-if<\/h1>\n
Making fun of people isn\u2019t the most advisable thing to do when they are afraid.<\/strong>\u00a0They need to be reassured. They want leadership. They want to feel safe. I said this after Paris. \u201cNo one wants to hear they are being irrational when every fiber in their body is twitching and their brains are on overload.\u201d<\/p>\n Our fears are being fed by a steady diet of fear from our senior leadership, the media, and nearly every politician.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s face it. Fear sells. It sells both liberal and conservative agendas. It sells ideas. It sells gun. It sells your soul.<\/strong><\/p>\n And if you are like me, fear is debilitating. It keeps me up at night. It keeps me from living in freedom. It cages me, keeping me from the blessing of a life well lived.<\/p>\n So here are three attitudes I\u2019m going to take to work.<\/strong><\/p>\n It seems like the world has gone crazy, and on many levels it has. But watching too much television and spending too much time on Facebook affects me. It creates broad generalities in my mind and I find myself swept up in hysteria.<\/p>\n The problem is that every workplace homicide is magnified by the news cycle, the Internet and social media. Suddenly, it seems like there are more and more of these incidents. They aren\u2019t. <\/a>In 1992, there were 1044 homicides in the workplace. Last year, there 403. \u00a0There\u2019s two times the chance I\u2019ll die from a slip or trip at work than from a homicide.<\/p>\n In 1993, there were seven homicides by firearm for every 100,000 Americans, according to\u00a0a Pew Research Center analysis<\/a>\u00a0of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 2013, that figure had fallen by nearly half, to 3.6 \u2014 a total of\u00a011,208 firearm homicides<\/a>.<\/p>\n I\u2019m just saying don\u2019t get pulled into the hype of fear.<\/p>\n Jeff Dvoskin, a senior psychologist with the Threat Assessment Group, says, \u201cwe tend to over-generalize from things presented to us most vividly.\u201d He also says we are \u201cmisled about real versus perceived risks \u2013 pretty significantly.\u201d<\/p>\n It seems like every workplace has one. The brooder. The guy who drives a beat up pickup. The one whose whole life is a mystery. He is unkempt, has no close friends at work, and rarely gives a clue to his thoughts or emotions.<\/p>\n I am not about to start treating him like the next one to go off. I\u2019m going to find ways to enage him, to talk to him, to extend him kindness.<\/p>\n And there are those in my workplace, and yours as well, that don\u2019t look like you or act like you. Because someone is different doesn\u2019t mean they are dangerous. I know in many situations I\u2019ve been the guy that people wondered about.<\/p>\n Banning loners, or Christians, or Muslims, or bald guys, or men with beards or Far Right or Far Left people won\u2019t stop evil.<\/p>\nI won\u2019t play into the media hype<\/h1>\n
I won\u2019t start distrusting my coworkers<\/h1>\n
I won\u2019t become a slave to what-if<\/h1>\n
![\"Fear2\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/580\/2015\/11\/Fear2-682x1024.jpg\" "\\"David")
<\/a><\/p>\n