Hello my friend! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. There were many points I resonated with.
One in particular -

Once I altered my perception internally, my internal experience changed and this was reflected in what I experienced around me, actually for both of us.

Brought to mind the comment I made on a previous post of yours about changing perception can change reality.

I was really happy to see you express this idea in the situation you recounted in this post, and even happier that it produced the intended effect.

Fantastic!
Much love my friend and thanks for sharing :D