Trying to control the uncontrollable

"Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to it."

Yesterday was a bit of a rough work day. Through some poor communication, I ended up with the surprise duty of taking on a special project that needed to be done yesterday. This was on top of my regular duties, and helping my fellow coders. With school, I don't have time for much overtime, so I'm down to what I can do in 8 hours. And it's a project that doesn't really require a coder's expertise. A clerical person could do it...

Needless to say, I was frustrated.

During my lunch break, I realized that I have no reasonable option other than to do the project to the best of my ability. It was one of those 10% situations I couldn't avoid.

I could control how deeply and how much I let it effect me.

So I vented to a Fly Boy and Sista' Girl and Art Board Girl - all good friends of mine, and I decided to stop resisting the assignment and instead embrace it. I never have to like it, but I have to do it. My options were clearly:

A) Do the project and drive everyone around me crazy with my bad attitude and continued frustration, day after day, until the project is complete,

or

B) Accept that I have to do the task and focus on getting it done in a productive manner. The sooner it's done, the sooner it will stop needling me.


I chose B. When I got home, I was chatting with Sista' Girl about our upcoming vacation, triathlon, and weight loss plans. Using an old rule I had evoked many years ago, I enforced it on myself - leave work at work.

After a good night's sleep and a productive night at home, I came back to the office today with a clearer head, ready to dive in to whatever they put on my plate. It could be worse. Afterall - I could be out of a job rather than entrusted with a special project.

As they say, "Even though you shake your sword at the sky, you can't stop the sun from setting."

You can either try to fight the sunset (the uncontrollable factor), or you can embrace it and gaze at the sunset. But whether you're glad the day is ending, or wish it never would, it doesn't effect the sun setting. Since frustration and negativity only really serves to bring you down and those around you down as well, embrace it, feel it, and choose your reaction with the best interest for yourself and those around you in mind.