Attitude and Adaptability

How do you react to unforeseen circumstances

When things don’t go to plan there are two methods of approach. To accept the alternative, adapt on cue and adjust things as needed, or throw a pout, further ruin your day and deal with the new schedule anyway. Option two is easy but degrading to our overall well being, choosing option one serves as the gateway to a healthier, happier life.

I once heard a long time ago - I can’t recall from when or from who - but the message is this:

You shouldn’t ever be mad over things you cannot control, as you cannot control the uncontrollable. And you shouldn’t ever get mad over things you CAN control, as you can control them.

This saying has stuck with me and I catch myself referring to it repeatedly. Though it is true we’re plagued with unfortunate situations, and anger and frustration are perfectly acceptable emotions - I consider them essential to our lives as they provide the counterpoint to all our positive emotions - but the message above can be expanded to help extinguish a burning fire of rage, comfort at a time of uncertainty, and identify what actually is important.

We experience these mishaps all the time but how we choose to react shapes us to who we are and defines our true character. Here’s a brief story of my example of just the other day:

What should have been a 6-hr drive from northern Virginia to upstate NY for an upcoming race - Manitou’s Revenge - turned into a nearly 9-hr long ordeal by no other than a fluke on my part. From Crozet, VA I entered the correct house number and street name but selected the wrong city - also in NY, and also roughly the same amount of time I knew it’d take.

It wasn’t until I was ~45 min from my destination, ecstatic to finally be within 1-hr, when I realized I was actually still 150mi and over 2.5 hours away from my true destination, on the complete other side of the state.

Yes, in that fleeting moment of realization I was angered and upset with myself for such a careless mistake - but I had no other options then to turn around and restart my route. I stopped for dinner and mentally reset. I adjusted my plans and didn’t allow myself to be engulfed with those dominating negative emotions resulting in something stupid like speeding or driving recklessly.

My attitude shift allowed me to soak in the views and beauty of this new part of NY I’d never see otherwise - or maybe never again - and made me realize and appreciate the probably $50+ in toll fees I saved from taking the much longer and scenic route. This extra delay even pushed my planned run back far enough to capture an amazing sunset on the pristine trails in the area - that in and of itself was almost enough to make it worth my while:

It’s not every time when things go wrong do they end up for the better, sometimes things that fall through really do suck. But I challenge you next time your plan gets thrown up into the air, by a mistake on your part or otherwise, express your frustrated emotions, but don’t let them consume you. Channel that energy into unfolding, discovering and appreciating the new possibilities ahead, because sometimes, the best things that ever happen to us were never even planned to begin with.