Even when things go wrong you can still be Batman!

What do you do when things go wrong?

Like this week, when I threw my back out pretty good. I could hardly walk and wasn’t sure how I was going to get through the day.

Or when my friend and client came in and told me about a speeding ticket he’d gotten. He was so mad at himself.

Or when my dog had an upset stomach and went to the bathroom in the house, which I discovered right before I needed to leave for work!

Life happens. So how do we handle it?

Here are four things I’ve found incredibly helpful.

1. Expect things to go wrong.

Everyone experiences things that don’t go their way. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done something wrong. It’s life.

The sooner we accept that, the less energy we waste being upset that something happened in the first place. 

2. Respond. Don’t react.

Do what you need to do to address the situation.

When my back went out, I started stretching and resting it.

My client decided he wasn’t going to drive that fast anymore. Lesson learned. He paid the ticket and moved on.

And when my dog went to the bathroom in the house, I cleaned it up!

Sometimes it’s really that simple.

3. Bring in a little humor and gratitude.

Humor can lighten up a situation. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.

Even though my back was hurting, it was Halloween week. I spotted a Batman mask while taking my son to school, so I grabbed it and wore it the whole way, pretending to be Batman.

He got a good laugh out of it (well kind of lol), and it took my mind off my pain.

Gratitude also helps put things in perspective. I appreciated all the times my back had felt great and all the joy my dog brings into my life. 

4. Look for the lesson.

There’s a saying:

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer

My back reminded me to stretch more consistently.

My dog made me take a closer look at what he was eating.

And my client realized something about himself. Instead of beating himself up over the ticket, he recognized how quickly he was able to let it go.

That gave him confidence and helped him see his own growth.

Here’s something interesting about handling stress:

If you watch two ducks in a pond, come near each other, they might quack and slap their wings to let the other know to back off.

But once they’re out of each other’s way, they don’t keep quacking and flapping their wings.

They simply let it go and become peaceful again.

There’s a powerful lesson in that.

We don’t need to carry things around inside of us just because our back went out, we got a ticket, the dog went in the house, or even because of what’s happening in the world.

Getting upset is normal. But continually worrying, stressing, and ruminating doesn’t help us or anyone around us. In fact, chronic stress can take a real toll on our health.

We have a life to live, people to love, and a world to be part of.

We don’t do ourselves or anyone else much good by being caught up in our heads.

So how do we make that shift?

It takes intention, developing good habits, and practicing them.

I’ve been studying and working with coaches for almost 20 years. And I still receive coaching today because I want to keep growing and live the best life I can.

I share this because most people don’t reach out for help until something goes wrong. And others never reach out at all.

Yet with the right help, we can make tremendous changes, not just in how successful we are, but in how happy and fulfilled we feel and how much of a blessing we can be to others.

If this speaks to you and you’d like to experience coaching, I’m offering a two-session experience where we can explore any area of your life and gain some clarity.

Simply hit the Book Me button on my website to schedule a complimentary call. www.bertastacio.com

But even if you don’t do that, remember:

You don’t need to be stressed just because there’s stress going on around you.

That’s how powerful you are.

Wishing you much joy and peace,

Bert aka Batman aka Bertman

www.bertastacio.com