A Classic Example of Adapting to Achieve Success!
We all face challenges daily. How we respond makes all the difference. See the magic in your life!
Last week, I called a local mechanic to have the oil in our Jeep changed. They were a week out and I thought I might want to be quicker than that, so I didn’t schedule. Mandy said that we weren’t in any hurry. We use the Jeep to pull our travel trailer, and we had no trips planned. I forgot to call and schedule. Suddenly, we needed the Jeep for several short trips.
I scheduled an oil change with Walmart in Bellingham yesterday. The time schedule was for 12:30 today. Mandy and her sister went to exercise at about 10 and I decided to exercise too. My weight routine is taking a little longer. I force myself to rest for two and a half minutes between sets.
I didn’t get started until about 10:30. Finished about 11:30. Showered. Started warming up the car, while I packed my computer to do a little writing. (Warming up a diesel is a good idea before driving. So, I’m told.) Woods Coffee is my favorite local franchise. One is close to Walmart. My plan was to go there, get a coffee and write until my car was ready.
Mandy and her sister were planning to meet their siblings in Bellingham at 1:00. I might join them after the oil change.
I knew I was running a little late. I took a chance on changing my course. Of course, road work was being done. I was stopped for a minute for one way traffic.
Walmart doesn’t carry the oil filter for the Jeep. O’Reily auto parts is right beside Woods. Plan was to stop there, get the filter and go to appointment.
Time was running very close. Should I go to Walmart, check in, then go get the filter? Decided at last minute that I had time to get the filter.
No customers in store. Told the woman at the counter what I needed and realized I had forgotten my wallet. Damn! That flushes the whole event.
Got in my car to go to Walmart to check in and see if they had the filter. What else could I do? I got the thought: Call Mandy and have her give me the credit card number over the phone. She agreed.
Back into O’Reilly. Can you take a credit card over the phone? Sure. Mandy called me back. I bought the filter. Got to Walmart at 12:28.
Mandy agreed to stop by and bring my wallet on her way to meet her siblings.
Checked in at Walmart. Stood around and waited. Decided to walk to Woods. I could sit there and wait for my wallet. Sat down and Mandy called. She was five minutes away. Told her to come to Woods. She drove into the parking lot and her sister, Kit, handed me my wallet.
Back into Woods and ordered an iced mocha. Sat down with computer. Got a text that my car was ready.
Back to Walmart to get car. Nobody was there to take my money. Pressed the screen several times to call for assistance. Went to restroom. It was being cleaned. Went back to pay. Still nobody.
Asked a waiting customer if he had seen anybody at counter. He had. I walked a bit. Went back. Man was there to take my money.
Got in car. Message still says - Oil Change Required. Back to talk to mechanic. He tried three times and couldn’t clear message.
Back to car. Looked up how to clear oil change required. First video didn’t work. Second video same as first. Third video worked.
Called Mandy. They were just getting started on a walk. She told me how to find them.
I drove around Walmart and decided to come home. I hadn’t done any writing. Called Mandy and told her my change in plans. Went back into Walmart. Used the restroom and bought a new mouse for computer.
Came home to write this.
We all have days like that. Some would have gone home after realizing the wallet was forgotten. Some would be upset with themselves. Their whole day would have been ruined.
It is times like that when we must be open to allowing the solution to our problems to come to us. The solution was easy and happened so quickly I was still on time.
The car was ready so quickly I didn’t have a chance to write. Some would have been upset about that.
Some would have been upset that nobody was there to take my money.
Some would have been upset that the restroom was being cleaned.
Some would have been upset that the Oil Change Required message was still on.
I wasn’t upset by any of those things.
In the end, I realized that I have spent a lot of time with my in-laws over the past two weeks. Coming home to write was a good use of my time.
Flexibility is adapting. How can you accomplish your goals in spite of your plans not working?
Emotion and being rigid shuts down your intelligence and creativity. How can you get around the obstacle? Wait for an answer. Then, flow around the obstacle.
That is what some of us mean by being in the flow. It doesn’t mean that everything is easy. It means that everything becomes magical - if you let it. If you are willing to see the magic.