Today I felt run down, but rather than work in a nap, I had a cup of coffee (mistake 1).  I felt awake, but uncomfortably jittery (I’m not a regular coffee consumer).  I’m in Mammoth with my husband for business and I’m working in the hotel room.  We have to stay another night but that hotel was booked, so I moved us down the street to another one.  Dragging the luggage to the new room and unpacking us again while my husband went off to his meeting, it occurred to me I’d left something behind.

I had left my underwear at the first hotel (mistake 2).  So, rather than taking my time to get there (was I worried the housekeeper would toss my undies?), I hurried to back my car out of the parking garage and banged into a cement pillar (mistake 3 and the wake up call).

I got out of the car and noticed my first obvious scrape just above and on the bumper area of my newer car.  Not a pleasant sight, but fairly minor.  Yet I was so thankful that it wasn’t worse and I didn’t hit anyone, that I began consciously refocusing and moving at a slower pace.

After picking up my undies in my previous hotel room (which were of course in the drawer where I’d left them), I got a nice salad and smoothie at a local restaurant and returned to the comfort of my hotel room to eat and then and write this blog. 

I am reminding myself that not every life lesson has to be learned by the jump-off-a-cliff-to-learn-what-it’s-like-to-hit-the-bottom approach.  Next time I vow to pay attention to any fear I’m giving myself over to, especially related to trivial matters, and put my focus where it’s needed.  This invariably slows anyone down and helps minimize the possibility of things going awry.

Where’s Your Focus When “Bad” Things Wake You Up?