In Life, It's Good to Have a Plan B

When life doesn't go according to plan what do you do? Do you have a plan b, an alternate route to take? This week Sean and I mapped out the fall schedule, every weekend from now until Jan 1st! Michael's Ravens games are every Sunday, with a few exceptions, SJ has football games on Friday night and then his basketball season starts first of November. Collins coaches an inner city cheerleading squad and she attends their games on Friday nights - we try to hit a few of those too. Plus we squeeze a few Ole Miss games in here and there. By mid October the Grizzlies start to play and Sean does their TV color commentary. It is enough to make your head spin and leaves little room for error.

The first delayed flight happens and the plan falls apart quicker than a house of cards. As I was fretting over this, I looked at poor Sean and said, "what will be plan b? Do we have one?" He replied in his serious voice, "Did Michael Jordan have a plan b when he got cut from his high school basketball team"? I said, "Get out, he got cut? He must have been so disappointed!" We learn so much in life from rejection and disappointment. To this day we tell our kids, "Life's not fair." This usually comes when they didn't win a class election, or win the big game or get the job they wanted. However, each let down was a character builder and hopefully enriched their lives for the better.

In my own life, all the plan b's made me more determined to achieve my goal. The sun still rose the next morning and the world kept spinning and the alternate plan looking back was probably the better path for me to begin with, but I just didn't know it at the time. I learned along the way to not be so proud that I didn't seek help. There are always people that have a better vantage point than you do and have been down the road already. Enlist their support and seek their advice.

Babe Ruth once said, "Each strike out puts me closer to the next home run." Each of life's misfortunes just puts us closer to becoming successful! Will the world stop spinning if you aren't married by 30 or have a baby by 35 or make a million dollars by 40 or retire by 60? No! Don't lose your level of energy and enthusiasm just because the original plan didn't succeed. It's times like these that require good old fashion willpower. Remind yourself that just because you had to shake the Etch-A-Sketch doesn't mean there won't be a happy ending. We should develop a contingency plan, be faithful to your task, and maintain the right perspective while doing so. Therefore, when failures arise, step back, re-examine what you are doing, apply a little patience and have plan b ready to go! By the way.....Michael Jordan did just fine with his plan b!

Flickr photo credit by: martymadrid

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