A Bitter Pill

                                                                       www.englishcoursemalta.com

Sometimes our own words come back to haunt us.

This week, I pulled into the parking lot at work and checked my tire pressure since the tire icon was blinking. To my astonishment, the right front tire showed 5, while the other three tires were in the 30's.  A visual check confirmed that my instrument panel was working perfectly...the tire was flat as a pancake.

I immediately called my husband who said "Call AAA".  Secretly wishing that he would handle this, I dialed AAA and requested roadside assistance.  Once the "doughnut spare" was put on, I again called my husband to update him.  Secretly wishing he would handle this, I hoped he would say that he would come and change cars with me.  Again, my hopes were dashed when he told me not to take the expressway because the temporary tire couldn't handle the speed.

Driving home on slow-moving surface streets, I fumed because of the inconvenience.  Then a voice in my head (my own voice, actually) said "What would you tell someone else in this situation?" I knew I would say something like "Suck it up. It's one trip home. Be glad it wasn't in the dead of winter on the expressway waiting hours for a tow truck."

Following my own advice was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was enough to help me change my view of the situation.  Really, was it so bad to tack another 20 minutes on to my commute? Was I so terribly inconvenienced by this? At least I was headed home in my own car, although it did dip a bit to the right from the smaller-than-normal tire.

When you're in a situation wondering "Why is this happening to me?" remember, we all take a turn having a not-so-great day.  Shift your paradigm, reframe your thoughts.  It goes a long way toward making any situation more bearable.

IT IS ALL IN YOUR HEAD!

Cindy
cakozak88@gmail.com