Here’s a better way to think about having a bad day.

Last week I traveled from Milwaukee to Florida for work. While it should have been exciting to leave below-freezing temperatures for 80 degrees and sunshine, things kept going wrong.

First, I couldn’t find a parking space because the 6-story parking structure at the airport was reduced to only 2 active levels. Which felt like an April Fool’s joke. But it was March 9th. And March Fool’s Day is still not a thing in Wisconsin.

Then, after clearing security I heard an announcement in the terminal that some silly rabbit left their keys at TSA. After patting my pockets I realized that I was that silly rabbit. So I bunny-hopped back to security with my cotton tail between my legs to retrieve my little lost fob.

When I finally reached my gate and attempted to board the plane, my mobile ticket came up as invalid. Even though I had checked in 24 hours earlier and had a QR code for boarding, apparently when I deliberately changed from my complimentary seat upgrade back to my original exit row window, the system unchecked me. Because I was no longer checked in 30 minutes prior to boarding, they gave away my seat.

They rebooked me in the last row of the plane. But when I got to the last row, someone was already sitting in my seat. And he was more Papa Bear than Goldilocks.

All of this happened before 5:45 am.

It would have been easy to decide that I was having a bad day. Or that I was unlucky. Or to take it all as a sign that I wasn’t supposed to leave Milwaukee that day. And maybe that is all true. But I interpreted it differently.

I recognized that some days you run a sprint. Some days you run a marathon. And some days you run hurdles. And I was running hurdles.

Things go wrong all the time. It is the nature of a world run by humans, Mother Nature, and ever-present gravity. It doesn’t mean that life is bad. Or that you are unlucky. It’s just how things work, or don’t work as the case may be.

Key Takeaway

Keep life’s challenges in perspective. Life is good. Challenging situations are just part of the deal. Don’t let the hurdles of life stop you. Clear them and keep going. That’s what successful people do.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

Originally published at http://adamalbrecht.blog on March 16, 2023.