The Quicker You Adapt, the Quicker You Win
The unexpected arrived… now you must arrive. Determine what to do BEFORE the unexpected happens.
Let’s imagine you’re driving.
You’re making good time to the airport.
You plan to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before takeoff, it’s incredibly important you’re there on time.
The reason you’re even going to the airport is that you need to get to your destination wedding.
Your spouse to be lives in a different city so they’re already in the air.
Imagine you’re making great time, you’ll be at the airport at 11:30 am for a 2:00 pm flight.
But then… you get a flat tire.
Might as well just call it a day — you’re never going to make it right? You can just reschedule the wedding, it won’t be so bad. Maybe you should just cancel it altogether, this is a sign, isn’t it?
That’s ridiculous.
But… it’s how SO many of us respond and react to unexpected and uninvited circumstances.
We get fired and just retire early…
Our spouse wants a divorce and we accept it…
We get declined for a job and never apply again…
Our friend becomes a millionaire and we stop dreaming…
We get cancer and decide we’re dying…
Our child breaks their arm and we stop taking risks…
“If a leader cannot control their own emotions, how can they expect to control anything else. Leaders who lose their temper lose respect.” — Jocko Willink
I really don't think that there should be a difference. If we support someone, we support their actions also. At least…harrisonwendland.com
IT IS LUDICROUS.
Why do we EVER let the outside circumstances determine our internal center??
Think about Nehemiah when the walls needed to be rebuilt.
Think about Paul in prison.
Think about Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days.
They did NOT cave. They fulfilled the mission — even though the odds were against them.
“When everything is happening around you, find and maintain the peace within you.”
What is that peace?
Where does it source from?
It depends on what type of peace you are seeing and what type of peace you are accustomed to experiencing. There are many different types of peace and many different levels of peacefulness.
I’m sure that you know people who are constantly “on” right?
I’m sure that you know people who are constantly happy, right?
I’m sure that you also know people who are constantly complaining, right?
It’s tough to have peace when you’re always going or when you are always complaining. If you haven’t learned that then either… you’re very fortunate and have had it fairly easy… or you’re naive to what peace you could be experiencing and I hope that you experience the more for you that there truly is when you pursue it.
“Millions of Americans have stopped believing that we are in a war. No urgency, no watching, no vigilance, no strategic planning. Just easy peacetime and prosperity.” — John Piper
That may seem to run contrary to everything that you’ve read here so far… but it’s not — go read it again.
War on the OUTSIDE. That does NOT mean that you as an individual are AT war but rather IN war.
There is a huge difference.
It is a STRENGTH to be able to pivot and completely and entirely switch your position on something after receiving new information.
I said that also within my peace on Tuesday. But think about it… back to the initial story again. Let’s jump back into that.
HOW WILL YOU ADAPT
You’re cruising at 75 mph down the highway. The weather is great, the sky is clear. Then all of a sudden… the road gets bumpy and you think you’ve fallen off the road a little bit due to your daydreaming. But that isn’t the case, you aren’t even in the far left lane.
The rattling and unsteadiness continue… this can’t be good.
You pull over. A little frustrated your hazard lights are on and you jump out of the car. It wasn’t this hot when you left, was it? That’s what you’re thinking anyway.
PAUSE.
Now what? Do you just call it off?
That’s quite the reaction… but one that some of us have in other situations.
“Oh no! It’s raining when I was going to run. I’ll just wait until next week and then exercise.”
We can’t live like that.
"I couldn't sit around and wait, I had to have it happen." - Drake What did you learn today?What did you learn…harrisonwendland.com
If something changes or adjusts our original plan, we need to respond quickly and move forward. We need to keep going.
If you have a flat tire, call a tow truck or change the tire… isn’t that what you would expect people to do? I would.
You obviously can’t drive with a flat tire but… you can drive with a good tire.
Fix the tire and get to the airport! That’s why you PLAN for possible missteps or unexpected circumstances. You did not expect to have a flat tire but you knew that it would be a good idea to get to the airport at least 2 hours before your flight took off. You’re right on pace and even though there was an unexpected circumstance, you’re right where you need to be.
Adapt adapt adapt.
The unexpected arrived… now you must arrive.
Just think about it for a moment. If you wallow in the fact that you have a flat tire for too long… you’ll miss your flight. But, if you act quickly and responsibly, all will be well if that’s God’s will.
“If we do not create and control our environment, our environment creates and controls us.” — Marshall Goldsmith
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