Have you experienced planning things out as carefully as you could only to have things backfire on you? Ever gone through a series of steps that promised expected results only to come face to face with the unexpected? Happens, right? But the question is, what did you do when that happened?
Here's how a grade schooler reacted when the unexpected threatened to up his plans.
A grade school class was coming up with a Christmas play. Of course, the story of Joseph and Mary coming to the inn had to be told. There was one boy who wanted very much to play the role of Joseph. But when the parts were given out, Joseph's part was given to his biggest rival. Instead, he was assigned to be the inn keeper - the bad guy who turned Joseph and Mary away!
He was extremely upset about this. So during rehearsals, he kept scheming how to get even with his rival, who was playing Joseph. Then, it hit him! He knew what he needed to do to louse up his rival's performance.
Finally, on presentation night, Mary and Joseph came walking across the stage. They knocked on the door of the inn. The inn-keeper opened the door, and asked them roughly what they wanted.
Joseph then delivered his memorized and well-rehearsed line, "We'd like to have a room for the night." Suddenly, the inn-keeper opened the door wide and announced loudly, "Sure! Great! Come in! Come in! And I'll give you the best room in the house!"
For a few seconds, poor Joseph was bewildered and didn't know what to do. This was not in the script, and was definitely not a part of their rehearsals! An uncomfortable silence followed.
Refusing to let this unexpected turn of events to screw him up, the boy playing Joseph thought quickly on his feet. He looked at the inn-keeper, then past him, slowly and deliberately looking first to the left and then to the right. Then Joseph said, "No wife of mine is going to stay in a dump like this. Come on, Mary, let's go to the barn!" And the play was back on course again.
Ha-ha-ha ... I laughed when I first read it and can't help laughing while reading it now. But while thinking about the story, I saw some insights that could help us when the unexpected threatens knock us off our feet.
1. Don't Lose Your Composure
When the unexpected suddenly confronts us, it's normal to be rattled and confused. However, when this happens, it's important to get a grip on ourselves, and not let these initial feelings overwhelm us. When we don't shut the door to these feelings, other emotions like fear, anxiety, anger, hopelessness, depression can come in and further muddle up our outlook.
When emotions control us, our judgment is clouded. We really don't see clearly. How many of us have said or done things out of anger only to regret those things when we cooled off later?
Remember, we may not have any control over some of the circumstances that come our way, but we certainly can control how we face these circumstances!
2. Think Creatively
From the author of "Positive Thinking," I read that every problem has a weak point. He said that we need to look at the problem from different angles so that we may develop an idea how to conquer it. If we can't find a solution through traditional and normal means, then we could explore other unconventional and unusual ways towards a solution. You've probably heard people refer to this as "thinking out of the box."
We need to train our minds to think creatively when dealing with situations, so that when an unexpected emergency takes place, we will be quick to think fast on our feet!
3. Be Positive And Act Decisively
When you find the solution to your problem, don't hesitate and second guess yourself. A brilliant idea is impotent if not acted upon. Remember one of Newton's laws that states, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."
You will never be any closer to your goal if all you do is wish you were there. However, every step forward it will bring you that much closer to your goal.
Take action. Release the power of the idea by putting it to motion in your life!
And as we come near to 2008, these are good things to reflect on, plan on, and act on. When the unexpected comes along, these tips can act as secure footholds so that we can still have favorable outcomes -- just like the boy who portrayed Joseph!
Cheers!
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