One of Those Days

Have you ever had one of those days, you know, where everything that can go wrong does goes wrong? I had one last week and I hate to admit it…but I don't think I handled it very well.

Things started going wrong the minute I woke up. I got up extra early to knock out some important proposals on my computer, but the internet was down. So I text messaged my assistant at my office for his help, but he misplaced his phone that morning. So when I got to work, I was way behind schedule....and I was really late getting to work anyway because of a major accident on the freeway.

When I finally got to the office, the first email I opened was bad news. One of our largest customers had been anxiously awaiting the arrival of new LED light fixtures for a large project at a local University. The fixtures came in that morning but apparently the manufacturer accidentally built them with the wrong voltage drivers, so all 20 of the large expensive fixtures would have to be returned.

By mid-morning I was really getting frustrated and admittedly out of sorts. When my sales team failed to send me some important documents I needed for a lunch meeting, I had to scramble and print everything out at the last minute, making me late for the lunch meeting. Of course, the food I ordered at the restaurant came out wrong but at least the meeting went well. However, the day didn't get any better. When I drove to my next two appointments both customers were tied up and not available, so I wasted valuable time and gas and felt myself falling farther and farther behind. Usually I keep my cool but on this day, I let everything get to me and back at my office I wasn't my usual nice self...In fact I was pretty much the opposite.

Late that afternoon, around 4:30pm I was standing in the middle of the office complaining to several employees. I'm sure I was making something out of nothing, when I noticed a fly buzzing around my head. As I spoke the fly flew into my mouth and I accidentally swallowed it! I tried to act cool, like nothing happened and hoped nobody saw it, and excused myself to go get a drink of water. At the water cooler I was so grossed out and frustrated I just started laughing and when my Warehouse Supervisor asked me what was so funny, I was laughing so hard I couldn't even tell him. I did however go back inside the office and in front of everyone I asked the poignant question, "Did you see me swallow that fly?" They all started laughing and I laughed right along with them, at which point I said, "I think I deserved that!"

The next time I find myself having “one of those days” I am going to try to remember that if I keep a positive attitude going… my day will fly by….instead of flying down my throat!

 

Instead of complaining that the rosebush is full of thorns,

be happy that the thorn bush has roses.

~ Ancient Proverb