Do you ever wonder why things can’t just go smoothly? For example, like when you wake up at 5:00 a.m. and write a great blog post and then your computer does something wonky and then the post goes live and you realize everything that you’ve written has disappeared? And you don’t discover this until 7 hours later?
Maybe, just maybe this may have happened to me yesterday. The worst part is I’m pretty sure I had a potential client look at that empty post and decide not to work with me. Sigh. Or, how about when every single payment that I had coming in from a month of working in April arrived late, was sent in a different way, or was delayed? And I’d switched to an all cash budget and I was NOT going to back down on proving that I could rock my non-existent cash?
Or, getting an assessment on my place that has grown in value by another $50,000. Yes, that’s good-but that also means that my taxes are going up next year. By a lot.In fact, there have been a number of reports on the news that shows me I’m not the only one affected by this issue. That’s the literal price we pay for finally becoming a city that everyone wants to live in.
Or, having to help your mom do a powerpoint when you have no time (and are trying to work) and it’s the last week of a class that she’s taking and her computer has died and there’s no time to pick up a new one before the end of her class. Parents and technology-Sigh.
I’ve decided though that when things go wrong you can react in several ways: you can cry, you can ask “why me?” or you can say “sh$t happens, and bring it!” I’m now at the point in my life where I just say “bring it.” I don’t want to invite crap. But, sh$t happens. When “it” hits the fan you have a choice. You can be broken or you can kick “its” a@@ and keep moving forward. Yes, I’m using some rough language today but I want to communicate the passion behind my thoughts.
When things go wrong you have a choice to dig deeply and push through and make things happen. These are the moments that shape you. Tough moments usually don’t happen when you’re expecting them. Unfortunately, those moments happen when they happen. It’s the difficult times that help us grow and test our resolve. Why is growing so annoying and painful?
I used to get so upset when things went wrong. Now, I just think “I’m still standing.” Despite all of the knocks that I’ve had I’M STILL STANDING!
With each knock I’ve learned
- To dig deep
- Persevere
- Think creatively to solve a problem
- To keep from reacting in the moment which usually leads to making a decision that benefits the other party and not you.
- To be positive
- To laugh instead of cry (if possible)
What is your action plan for when things go wrong? How will you react? Will you give yourself a day to cry/scream/etc. then work on your action plan 24 hours later? Things WILL happen. So how will you deal with those moments when they happen? Have you thought about this?
What Do You Do When Things Go Wrong?
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I try (keyword: try) to remind myself that God doesn’t give us more than we can handle. Sometimes it feels that way. But each new challenge is Him giving me a chance to grow. To get better. To be molded into something more beautiful. Each new challenge is Him showing faith in *me*. Love the attitude here. Bring it!
I love that you put (keyword: try) I feel the same way and I’ve grown as I’ve had to persevere with each challenge. They always suck as you’re going through it. But, when you get to the other side it feels pretty good.
When things go wrong, I have learned that I have to stay positive at all times because when I react negatively, everything will just get worse. Stay focused and solve the problem right away to catch up with wasted time.
You’re so right! That’s why I added just laugh about it. Every time I’ve freaked out it just made my reactions to the situation worse…and then made the actual situation WORSE. Now, I just take time to calmly react. I might still cry, but I give myself space to react to the situation from a position of power.
I think it depends on the severity of the disappointment. If it’s bad though I do let myself mourn. There is nothing wrong with letting yourself grieve. I try to take a deep breath and get some perspective…maybe read some positive books or inspiring podcasts. I do think the better you handle disappointment, the more emotionally healthy you will be.
I agree that depending on how severe the disappointment is you may need go through a mourning period (thanks for that thought!) I just know that when I reacted quickly to situations I always made them worse. So, I had to learn how to manage my emotions when: nervous, afraid, or angry. Learning to manage my emotions has been key in enabling me to manage difficult situations.
Those are some tough situations. I particularly hate computer problems! Ugh! I’m glad you have a positive attitude when those things come up though. 🙂
At this point-what can I do? I also discovered that my internet bill is triple the usual amount. I just have to laugh or I will really cry!
When things go wrong I keep going. Tough times never last. Tough people do.
Sometimes you just have to keep on keeping on!