Here is a real world example of how the choices we make, make us. How do you choose to be happy about an unfortunate circumstance?
On a recent Saturday my car was broken into and my purse stolen. Yes, I know… there is never a “safe” place to leave your purse in plain sight in your vehicle. Once I got over the initial shock of the discovery, I made a choice as to how I would deal with the situation. Yes, a choice.
Instead of tears, frustration, lamenting, whining or panicking, which would have wasted precious time, I calmly asked a friend if I could borrow her cellphone. The first call was to 911 to request police assistance to file a crime report. While waiting for an officer to respond I was able to: call my husband and inform him; call all my banking and credit institutions to inform them, and contact the auto dealer to let them know I would be in before 5 p.m. At the dealership, I received a loaner and was back to my home by 4:30 p.m. The initial reporting of the incident had been at 11:00 a.m.
On Sunday, I reviewed all my credit accounts and established a fraud alert for all three credit reporting agencies. By Tuesday all of my credit cards had been replaced and the visit to the Department of Public Safety occurred Wednesday to obtain a new driver’s license.
I just made this sound all so easy, didn’t I? First, I am thankful that a good friend was at the same location and she willing sacrificed her Saturday plans to wait with me for the police and to loan me her cell phone. Second, and not to be discounted, was the attitude I adopted as soon as I realized what had happened. The only option was to deal with the situation with the bravest, most positive outlook I could muster.
The lesson from this: I was not happy the event occurred. However choosing how I responded to “life happens…” made all the difference in the world. The real surprise was the boost of confidence that came from handling the situation in a positive manner, a choice that I made.