Photo by Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash
During the three weeks before Christmas and Easter, I temp at a local candy store. I do this because I like the people I work with, it gives me extra money, and clients tend to avoid scheduling sessions near major holidays (even if they’re not religious). This year, on the Monday before Easter, it seemed to be one of those good and bad days we all have from time to time.
I left my house early to go to my office and get a good ninety minutes of writing done before going to the candy store. When I got out of the car, I realized I had the wrong footwear on. So much for my writing time. I had a choice of whether to go back home (a one-way, twenty-five-minute drive) or go to our local running store and get shoes.
This might not seem like an existential crisis to most people, but I wear a size five shoe. No store except for one in the entire county carries size five running shoes or cross trainers. After calling my spouse and telling him about my “crisis,” I went and bought the shoes, the only size five cross trainers the store had.
As leaders, sometimes we find ourselves in situations that require us to change directions or make decisions on the fly. I wasn’t paying attention that morning and was ill-prepared. What I decided to do with my funny predicament was three-fold: buy new shoes, give myself compassion, and use it as a learning opportunity. I moved my schedule around, got lunch from the shop next door, and sat in the back of the candy store to write.
I might not be writing when, where, or as long as I wanted to, but I held myself accountable to get things done. I chose to make the most of a funny situation, embrace the change, and look for the good.
Question to ponder:
How do I make the best of “bad” situations?
Where do I need to give myself more compassion or flexibility?
Stay curious friends!
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