Drip, Drip, Drip

The rain had started just a few moments earlier and was now pouring down relentlessly. With only 5 minutes remaining, I returned to the client's kitchen to wrap up the visit when I heard...

Drip...drip...drip...

UGH! Just 5 minutes left. The day had unfolded flawlessly, a perfect visit up until that point. And suddenly, it felt tarnished.

I had done everything right. I executed the plan and stuck to my schedule. For a moment, it felt like all that effort was in vain.

But had I truly done anything wrong? Was this unforeseen circumstance really worth the surge of frustration, the internal blame? The more I thought, the clearer it became: life's unpredictability often throws us off balance.

The real question then arose: where was the anger directed? Was it inward or outward? Being upset about an unforeseeable event is a natural reaction, but berating myself for not having foreseen it is an unnecessary burden.

We can't always predict the challenges we'll face. Much of life is about navigating the unknown, bracing ourselves for surprises, and facing the unexpected with grace. The problems we encounter, more often than not, choose us instead of the other way around.

Embracing the reality of life's unpredictability is a sign of maturity. It's a realization that events will unfold, with or without our presence. And while we don’t always get to pick our battles, we always have a say in how we react to them.

Coming to terms with the unknown means accepting that there's only so much we can control. Yet, in that vast sea of unpredictability, there's solace in knowing we always have the power to choose our response. And sometimes, amidst life's unforeseen challenges, we might discover that we're precisely the right person for the task at hand.