Life happens
Some things are out of your control. How you deal with these thingswill demonstrate your character and personality. I was confronted with this today as I sat on a runway in a small aircraft for 2 hours. Storms had rolled in, delaying our departure at a connecting airport. At the 2 hour mark the captain came over the intercom to inform us that we were returning to the gate and we would get more information once we were at the terminal. The uproar on the plane was minimal, but several were clearly agitated, if not completely upset. Not everyone seemed to share my comment as I said, “Life goes on, we’ll be okay.” I had just (literally, 5 minutes before) read the following passage from a book by Sam Carpenter: “Relax. If you can’t fix something, don’t worry about it. Do what you can or walk away, but certainly don’t spend time or energy agonizing over it.” (Work The System, p.51) It seems most people would rather complain and be upset rather than managing their own actions.
I have a strong internal locus of control, meaning I believe I control the way I feel and the things that happen to me. Not everyone is this way. I know there are things that I have no control over but most situations have something I can influence. Even if it is just my reaction and demeanor, I can control something. I had to practice a lot of self-control and relaxation today as I was moved off my plane to a crowded terminal, had to re-book a flight, cancel the training class I was to conduct at my final destination, and find a hotel. Nothing about the experience was fun or effective to my end goal, but it was necessary.
My question for you today is this: What do you control and do you let outside forces determine what you control? Don’t let those things that you have no control over ruin your life. Deal with it, walk away, relax, build a plan to fix or remove the problem. But please, don’t just complain and make the situation worse. Your reaction to all situations will determine how you succeed in life.
One last piece of advice… traveling through Houston during storm season may not be your best option!