Things May Never Work out Your Way all the Time

Things May Never Work out Your Way all the Time

If I would be asked what is the greatest lesson I would give to the young people who are growing after me, it will simply be the lesson that most of the time things will not turn out to be as they expect. I would tell them a million times that disappointment will rock their world a great deal.

A mother and daughter were travelling in an airplane. It happened that the daughter was sitting in between her mother and another male passenger seated at the window. As they approach for landing, the mother requests the male passenger to exchange his seat with her daughter because she enjoys seeing airplanes landing when travelling in them.

The male passenger politely declines the request. The mother is angry about this turn of events but for me, it is the lesson the male passenger insists on. He calmly replies, “In as much as I would love to let her sit here and enjoy the view, I think it is important for your daughter to learn that not always things will work her way.”

It had been a culture that every time they landed, whoever was seated at the window seat often exchanged their positions for this little girl. And it seems her mother had brought her up with the notion of giving her everything she needed in exactly the way she needed it.

Now, here comes a person for the first in her life who disappoints her. Probably she feels bitter and angry but after some time, she will begin to accept that we are in a world full of disappointments. What the male passenger did for the little girl was to teach her that a little room for disappointment can save us a lot of anger and pain.

Let me use my example to put across this point. I was planning on a certain undertaking this past week. In my mind, I perfectly laid out the timelines within which I would accomplish whatever I wanted to in the best way possible.

I only forgot one thing, some of the things I planned for needed the input of people and organizations out of my control. It was only after the outcomes from the people and organizations out of my control that it dawned on me that things were not going to work my way. In this, I failed to factor in room for disappointment as I usually do and as such became angry.

It then dawned on me that perhaps the greatest lesson in this world is the lesson that things will certainly and most times not turn out as I would expect them to. So, it is prudent that all people learn that the world owes nobody any apology for the things that unexpectedly turn against our expectations.

It is also important that we understand that often these things don’t happen to us alone. For instance, I met this young girl who had been left by a boyfriend who in her mind she had envisioned to be her husband. When it turned out that they wouldn’t proceed with the relationship, all she wanted was to commit suicide.

In another instance, another man was very bitter that his brothers who were very successful and rich were not helping him. He believed that their success meant an automatic help to him. Not once did he fathom that the brother would not come to his aid.

If only he had learned to factor some room for disappointment in his world such that when it did eventually happen to him, he wouldn’t have any disappointments, and such lead to the harboring of such anger and resentments as the ones he had.

What we need is just a little room for disappointment.

It is thus important to learn that we may end up being betrayed by the people we trusted the most. Don’t forget that we may end up not getting that job that we are very best qualified for. We may miss that opportunity to be recognized for the much good work we could be doing.

We may be allowed to lead and put in our very best effort to turn out the best returns but it may end up being exactly the opposite of what we could be expecting. We could walk up to that girl we like and talk the best of ourselves out but they still deny us even if we have never been denied before.

Someone would have been occupying the first position in times of tests and assessments. It doesn’t mean that that will be forever their place. You would be the best corporate leader there has ever been but that doesn’t mean that you could be turned down in your next undertaking.

You may have been succeeding in everything that you undertake all along. Yet you need to be prepared for a possible failure in the future. In simple terms, always be prepared that things may never go your way as always deemed. You may not always get what you want. Always know this and you will be happy in this life.

Geoffrey Ndege

Geoffrey Ndege

Geoffrey Ndege is the Editor and topical contributor for the Daily Focus. He writes in the areas of Science, Manufacturing, Technology, Innovation, Governance, Management and International Emerging Issues. For featuring, promotions or support, reach out to us at info@dailyfocus.co.ke
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