Let's play a game of I Never
Sadly, not the fun kind you played in 6th grade and then really played in high school and then really played in college. Or maybe you played it over the holidays. Thanks for the invite. No, this game of I Never includes me telling anyone who'll listen how I've never broken a bone or had the flu. And for the past two years, that also included not getting Covid. Because I have a rockstar immune system. Well, I still do, but I also now have Covid. Or had.
It's just a flesh wound
Despite the outpouring of support on Instagram (love you all!), I'm fine. And if we weren't in the midst (still!) of a global pandemic, this would be my annual cold. Sore throat, some congestion and runny nose and 2 days later, all's right with the world and my sinuses.
But, as always, the universe has other plans. When you say I'll never get Covid, the universe is like...
Life is what happens when you're busy making plans
While I may think I'm superhuman, apparently I'm not. And sometimes we just need to be put in our place to learn a lesson. I still may never break a bone and I may never get the flu, but some things are simply out of our control and trying to control those things is a waste of effort and energy. (says the self-proclaimed control freak) But the beauty of something happening that you never thought would happen is it forces you to pay attention. And to rethink your preconceived notions. If you go through life thinking you know what's going to happen and how things are going to go, how can you pivot when they don't? How can you adapt? I feel like Darwin would have a field day with my "I never" declarations. He's over there laughing with the dodo bird.
Weebles wobble but they don't fall down
You either win or you learn. In other words, there's no failure but when you don't win at something, or something doesn't go your way, you sure as sh%t better be prepared next time.
When I first learned to ski I was in my 40s. And the instructor said that you need to learn how to fall. It's actually a safety precaution. Because if you can learn how to fall, you can get out of someone's way, or avoid a tree or simply extricate yourself from a dangerous situation. Now, I've only skied once and I never fell, but that's because I stayed happily on the bunny hill and didn't want to get my butt wet.
But failure or bailing, is a fixture in weightlifting. If you can't bail a bad lift, hundreds of pounds could come crashing down on you. Let me assure you, I'm an EXPERT bailer. I actually take pride in it. I see people who don't push themselves because they're scared to get hurt. But when you know how to get the hell out, you have no fear. I'll throw that barbell so fast it'll make your head spin.
A failure to plan is a plan to fail
Except it isn't always. I had plans. Plans to never get Covid. That didn't go to plan, did it? You can have all the plans in the world, but sometimes the universe, God, clients, lovers, friends have other ideas. And that's where the magic happens. Sometimes things happen and we just need to accept them. We need to take the hit. We need to sit our ass down and let it happen.
Even in business, nay, especially in business, things aren't going to go to plan. I don't care how many calendars, bullet journals, post-its, vision boards and strategy sessions you do, you can't just dictate what's going to happen. If you could, well, you'd run the world. And the universe.
Don't get me wrong, planning is imperative, but being ready for things to go sideways, actually knowing that at some point they will, might be moreso. At some point you're going to have to toss that barbell, but first you need the courage to lift it in the first place. And if you need some help...And if you need some help...I got you.
Learning to be Just a Bite Better
Consistency in all things is the key to success. For example, I worked with someone a couple of years ago who still gets my newsletter. Because he sees my name regularly in his inbox, he referred me to his friend who needed copy help for his start-up. This start-up is about using AI to prioritize choices over calories. Check out how you can become Just a Bite Better.
