(Minghui.org) I coordinate a text messaging team to clarify the truth to people in China.
Several practitioners on the team developed the habit of arriving late, leaving early, or not showing up at all for their shift.
I reminded one about this several times, but she still missed her shift three weeks in a row. I talked to her privately and essentially criticized her for being irresponsible. I then sent a message to the entire team and reminded everyone to be mindful of their duties. Two practitioners texted me back and apologized.
I thought I did the right thing, even though my tone was a bit harsh. I felt that if I was too casual, practitioners would not take it seriously. Although I asked them to correct me if I went off track, deep down I felt that I was right no matter what.
Master must have noticed that I failed to look inward. A few days later, I began to remember those times when I was irresponsible and thoughtless when I did Dafa projects and in my personal life.
One of my tasks is to man the truth clarification hotline. At first I carried the phone with me wherever I went and turned it on every day. Because I got very few calls, I gradually slacked off. Sometimes I would forget to bring the phone with me; other times, I would forget to turn it on.
Now that I think about it, I was the one being irresponsible! Although there were very few calls, it was still my duty to answer the phone. Master and the Gods must have seen my negligence.
While promoting Shen Yun Performing Arts, I was supposed to send forth righteous thoughts at certain times. However, I often failed to do so, and even when I did, I could not remain calm.
I forgave myself when I was late for my shift on the RTC Platform, even though I could have taken care of my personal matters earlier. Also, I was supposed to finish calling all the numbers on my list within a specified time. When I did not finish, I blamed it on the time difference between here and China. This shows that I took my duties lightly. I surely could have managed my time properly and made the phone calls.
I then began opening my shop late. I would drag my feet and make excuses. For example, I would quip, “It's winter now and people won't get up early to shop.” This is a clear example of being irresponsible and careless.
A practitioner asked me recently to write a letter and sign it. Because I do not have a printer at home, I would have to print the letter at a printing service. I kept postponing it and thought about a shortcut—take a photo of my signature and send it to the practitioner's cell phone. When I asked my family to help send my signature, they refused. They said I that I should not just casually send my signature.
When I called the practitioner and told her that it would take me a few days to do it, she said that it was fine. Now that I think about it, she was probably very anxious but did not want to rush me.
I came to realize that I have not treated other people's requests seriously and that I have instead developed the habit of taking care of my personal things. The next day I went to the printing service, printed the letter, and mailed it. I ran some errands along the way, and the entire process took me all of 30 minutes.
I am grateful to those practitioners whom I deemed “irresponsible.” Their behavior is like a mirror that reflects my shortcomings so that I can rectify myself promptly.