An Apology

Not gonna lie -- crisis cold weather shelter duty can be a little trying through the heart of cold weather season. Our shelter area this season is pretty tight, meaning that cots and cages (for dogs) are in close proximity to each other. Although such arrangements are better than sleeping out in the freezing temperatures, it doesn't take long for people to start wearing on each other's nerves. Minor conflicts and arguments arise often and I sometimes feel like a glorified baby sitter with adult charges.

Such conflicts become more frequent as daytime highs remain below freezing and our overnight guests have limited places to go and are kind of stuck with each other for several days without many options for a break. That's the way it is currently.

The other night one of our guests came up to me to apologize.
He said he was sorry for the way he reacted to another person and that he really didn't like being that kind of a person. He continued to express that he hated when he let others dictate his behavior or response in those situations and he would try to be better.

Not only did I appreciate his apology, but it also served as a reminder to me:
Stay true to yourself.
Stay in the moment.
Recognize the frustration that others are experiencing and respond accordingly.

It's easy to grow weary and lose focus when you're busy putting out fires all night.
And it's hard to take the necessary moment to quickly refocus in the midst of it all.
I feel like I've done a poor job of that this past week and need to access the necessary tools to do better in the coming nights. 

So...
My Monday Meditation is on staying calm, staying focused, and remembering who I am in the midst of others' conflicts and frustrations.
While several guests expressed their appreciation of how I have handled the past few nights, I know that I could have (should have) done a better job at restoring peace to our little space.

In the middle of chaos, how do you find your peace and restore your calm?
What methods do you use to bring yourself back into focus?

John