Issue 591 If you can't do anything May 14, 2015

Have you ever felt helpless, then you are not alone.  There are circumstances that are beyond our control, and thus we have to figure out how to deal with them.  Here are some of the ways I try to deal with such circumstances.

Less than desirable situations:  If you are at a bad job, or in a bad situation, the best thing to do is to bring your passion for your work with you.  The idea is that you want your situation to feel the least like work or drudgery as possible so as to not make yourself depressed.  Alternatively, you just surrender to the flow of a situation.  From there, you look to gain the advantage to change your situations outcome.  Basically looking for opportunities to advance.  If there is an opportunity to get out, or there is a situation where you would get into conflict, then you must pick and choose your battles.  Decide if something is winnable, or if it is best to lay low.  There will even be times where you must simply accept a situation and not act at all.  Basically, allow yourself to be yelled at or berated so as to prevent a worse situation.  If you have no control of your situation make the best of it.  All other times when situations arise where you cannot do something of that nature, you simply accept the facts of your situation and thus allows you to approach a problem with a clearer state of mind that is not disturbed by turmoil and distress.  You need a clear head to see opportunities and the best way for an opportunity to come to you is if you keep yourself positive.

Conclusion:  This is not going to be easy.  I learned these methods the hard way.  But, by bringing your passion and keeping your head clear, any situation can become winnable, or improved if you just allow it to happen and then seize the parts in your life that you can actually change.  Basically, this is a way to take control of your situation without actually controlling the uncontrollable aspects of what is going on.  Thus, you will, with time, come out on top of the problem you are dealing with.  Hope this helps anyone of you who read this and that it improves your lives even if by just a little.