Monday Motivation
Something fun to start your week
In my 20s, I applied for a job at a small book publisher in Los Angeles. I convinced myself that it was the PERFECT job. I would help edit books, write the back-cover blurbs, and I can’t remember what else. But it was all very good.
I did a few rounds of interviews and got more excited with each one. “It’s down to you and one other candidate,” they told me. And then…
I didn’t get the job.
I was so upset. It was terrible news.
I ended up accepting a different job, and guess what: THAT’S THE JOB where I met my husband. So actually, it was FANTASTIC that I didn’t get that publishing job.
Sometimes things that seem bad turn out to be good.
So when you get bad news or encounter a setback, here are two thought experiments you can try:
#1: Nesting Dolls
If something “bad” happens, think of it like a nesting doll. The situation doesn’t look good at first glance. That’s the outer nesting doll.
But maybe in time, you’ll discover a second nesting doll under that one… and that second nesting doll will be better. It was just hidden at first, so you couldn’t see it.
#2: Wrapping Paper
Another way to think about this: Imagine someone hands you a present that’s wrapped in weird, negative-looking wrapping paper.
But then, once you take the time to unwrap the box, you discover another box with more positive wrapping paper.
It took a little time to uncover that positive wrapping paper, but it was there waiting for you.
Note: These thought exercises won’t stop you from being sad when something disappointing happens. It sucks when you encounter a setback or bad news, and you will feel upset.
But in some little corner of your brain, just remind yourself: Maybe things will eventually turn out better than you think. Or maybe there’s a hidden benefit that you just can’t see now.
Maybe life will surprise you.
In fact, even as you’re disappointed, you can think that to yourself: “Maybe life will surprise me.”
Then take a deep breath and let life unfold. Chances are, it WILL surprise you.
I hope you have a great week ahead!
~Adrienne
All the past Monday Motivations
Do you know the old Russian tale about the horse and the farmer ??? Hope this isn’t too long …
The Farmer & the Horse
There was a farmer in a small village with a single horse who helped him earn a living for his family. The other villagers constantly told the farmer how lucky he was to have such a great horse.
Maybe,” he would reply.
One day, the horse ran away. The villagers came to the farmer to express their sympathies.
”Your horse ran away. How unfortunate!“ the villagers exclaimed.
”Maybe,” the farmer replied.
A few days later, the horse returned home, with ten strong wild horses in tow.
”What good fortune. What incredible luck,” the villagers crowed.
”Maybe,” the farmer again replied.
The following week, the farmer’s son was riding one of the wild horses in the fields, when it kicked him off and broke his leg.
The villagers arrived to express their dismay.
”What dismal luck,” they said.
”Maybe,” the farmer replied.
The next month, a military officer marched into the village, recruiting able-bodied young men for the war. The farmer’s son, with his broken leg, was left behind.
The villagers were joyful, “Your son has been spared. What beautiful luck!”
The farmer simply smiled.
”Maybe.”
As the saying goes, Attitude is Everything. It's okay and natural to feel disappointed/hurt/angry after a setback but the way to the Hopeful Horizon (as I like to put it) is never a straight line but a path complicated by twists and backward steps. The trick is to keep going forward (you really have no choice) and finding humor, even if it's morbid and self-effacing, in the worst situations the Universe can throw at you.