Over the last month or so my son has started potty training. Don't worry nothing gross here just setting up the situation.
As part of my son's routine he now likes to flush the potty. Recently while doing so, his binkie (pacifier for those who don't speak Wesley) fell out of his mouth and dropped into the toliet as it was flushing. The magic "binkie" went down the drain and so did the rest of his day. All Wesley could focus on was his lost binkie and how that he once had it and then it was gone.
Something so minor to you and I really meant a lot to this two year old to the point that for the first time in his life he felt loss and it hit him hard. Now imagine when he is 16 or so and Mom and Dad tell him about the time he flushed his binkie down the drain. When he is older he will realize that it was not all that big of a deal. Mom being cleaver and not wanting to see her son upset had the idea that we could replace his binkie with another one that looked very simuliar. I snuck out to the car and retrieved the imposer binkie and came back into the bathroom where the trategey had occured. Making a lot of noise, daddy was able to "rescue" the lost binkie and Wesley's world was restored back to normal.
How often as business professionals we feel that a situation such as looking for a misplaced file, a lost client or even when an employee is not producing what you need or like seemingly ruins your day? Then later on all returns back to normal to the point that you cannot believe that such a little thing could have so much power that you laugh at yourself. Next time that you feel your world is spinning out of control and that there is no light at the end of the tunnel give yourself a timeout and take a breather because that is when you are able to regain focus and find your missing binkie.
Dave Josephson, The Growth Coach® of Jax serving business owners, small practioners, sales professionals and those who know that they have what it takes to make a better life for themselves and their families.