Making It Through the Obstacles

Every day presents opportunities to learn how to get through the good and the bad. We all have to choose how we are going to deal with what is presented. I’d like to say that everything is all in how we look at it, but sometimes bad things happen. Sometimes things happen that aren’t bad, but aren’t good either. A positive attitude will help you get through the bad situations, and will help you survive them and learn from them, but getting through them requires endurance. You just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. If you stop or try to turn back, you have just as much (if not more) suffering than pushing forward, so take one step, then another, then another.

Finding the Proper Outlet

You may feel like strangling someone, or kicking and screaming. You may feel like punching something. And finding a physical outlet for your frustrations is a great means of channeling those frustrations and the physical aspects of stress. I know; I used to go to kickboxing class and name the punching bags! What a great way to vent your frustrations safely, for you and for other people around you!

A Kick in the Pants—Verbally

On the other hand, I know I’ve been frustrated with situations where I may say, “I’d like to kick someone and get them moving,” or “I could just strangle them for holding up a project.” I wouldn’t do either, but the frustration I’m allowing to build up and to come out in words isn’t productive for me or the relationship. I have to manage my attitude and how I’m reacting.

Recently, a situation got so intense, after three weeks of a situation not being handled and responsibility for the situation not being accepted by the party that created the situation,that I expressed my level of irritation as being so high as to be near-massacre level. Even now, the thought of the massive mess that was created and the loss of time and productivity that was created can—and does—raise my blood pressure several points. It is true to a degree that I can choose not to let it get to me, but the reality is that incompetence gets to me. It does … every time I think about it. I’m human! Things frustrate me! People can and do get on my nerves. But the more time I waste fuming and letting things take up even more time with the frustration, the more negative impact they have on me and my life.

Channel Frustration to Productivity

I continue to learn to channel my frustrations productively and to shorten the time invested in “if only” and “they should have” and even “I could have.” I learn to move on and get on with getting things done instead of all the other things that only make my stress and frustration worse. I may get frustrated, irritated, and even angry, but I can choose to cut short the cycle of negativity by focusing my energy elsewhere. I become productive, and when I have an issue with a vendor, I get a lot of great material for articles (for instance, on what not to do in customer service). I also can write about what to do when screening service providers and other vendors. It is much more positive than other things I may want to do. It also moves me ahead in a positive way.

Most recently, I had a terrible experience with a computer vendor. I lost many, many hours and days to a horrendous installation of a new server and desktop. I wrote many articles about it. While my computers were unavailable, I resorted to the old-fashioned pen and paper. I’m still getting caught up transferring those to computer files, but I did manage to keep working. So I know if my computer is down due to circumstances beyond my control, I use a pen. If my pen doesn’t work, and I can’t find a pencil … I’ll grab a crayon and start writing with red or orange or green and get my thoughts down with technicolor glory!

Don’t let anything stop you, even your own emotions and reactions! These can often be our biggest obstacles and hurdles, but the point is :obstacles are made go through, over, or around. The detour may actually be a more productive and colorful route.

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