Life’s little annoyances can propel me into a state of perpetual frustration. The bill from the doctor’s office that the insurance company said they would pay. The broken dishwasher. The repair man who’s late. Last week, I broke my right foot…for the second time. My immediate response was ouch, followed by the fact that I was simply annoyed. Annoyed that I couldn’t drive. Annoyed that I couldn’t reach my favorite cup in the cabinet!
Life is full of everyday occurrences when things don’t go as we planned. The one thing I’ve learned from these is that how we respond to small inconveniences directly determines how we will handle the big stuff.
A major intersection near my home has been under construction for the past three years. Just when one lane opens up, another shuts down. The minute I see the “Road Work Ahead” sign, I want to scream! It’s so frustrating that the road is never completed and never gets any better.
So it is with annoyances. They never go away. We will always have something in our life that we didn’t see coming. Life’s little annoyances are like Road Work signs. They force us to detour out of our comfort zone. But they encourage us to KEEP GOING. They aren’t meant to be stop signs! They’re designed as a warning—this may not be what you want or expect right now, but it’s temporary.
Here’s the thing, the little stuff is preparation because all of us will face hard times at some point in our lives. How we respond when we’re forced to detour off course determines how we will handle life’s major events when they come our way.
Maybe a life event is happening to a friend of family member. Use what you’ve learned about handling the little stuff to encourage them through this difficult time in their life.
Responding well to life’s little annoyances will enable us to handle major life events such as the dreaded call from the doctor with the diagnosis, a house fire or flood that destroys nearly everything, or the sudden loss of a loved one. Being better prepared will also enable us to help others in need.
Use the small inconveniences to help you KEEP GOING when life throws a road work sign in front of you!
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