Sometimes life throws you curveballs, and you have to roll with it. Quite literally. I mean, isn’t that part of what “balls” do? When unexpected things happen, how you respond to them is really what defines the experience. If you get super frustrated or angry, those feelings will dominate your day. Part of that frustration comes from wanting things to be different than they are. But what happens if you just accept it? You don’t have to like it, but at least you’re not butting heads with reality.
For example, this morning I woke up for a 5:30 am boot camp, only to find we couldn’t get into the gym because of a faulty lock. So, “back & glutes” day was a no-go. Instead, we did a bodyweight conditioning workout—even though we did the same thing yesterday! It would have been easy to be upset and wish things were different. And it’s OK to be upset for a moment. But does it really help anyone if we get stuck in a rut? I don’t think so. Though I admit, sometimes I do love staying in my grumpiness for a bit. I totally get it.
As one of the trainers, I had to step up and stay cool and collected, even if part of me was panicking internally. People respond to how YOU respond to a situation. We all know this is true for young children (the classic, if you don’t react when they face plant, they might actually be OK), but it’s true for adults too. Because, let’s be honest, adults are just big kids inside. Come on, you know it’s true. 😉
“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.”
~Charles R. Swindoll
So, the next time you find yourself in unexpected circumstances, take a pause and choose how you want to respond. Let yourself have that moment of whatever feeling you’re feeling … and then move on. Holding onto that feeling does no one any good. Choose happiness. Or at least something close to it.