Amiss

When our day is amiss, it’s like everything’s going wrong, and things our out of step with our normal routine. Maybe we started off the day waking up late. Maybe the computer stopped working. Maybe there was unexpected traffic–delaying our trip to work by minutes.

Whatever the case may be, it makes things more difficult than they ought to be. We tense up, feel annoyed or upset by how things are going. But it doesn’t stop there. The number of things that go amiss begin to snowball and get worse. There’s little we can do to change it as well.

But one thing I often do when things go amiss is to look at the opportunities that are presented. I look at it as a test, a trial–something that upsets the balance of my stable world. So if I’m stuck in traffic, I look at it as an opportunity to straighten out my chaotic thoughts–think about what I need to do for the day. If I forget my keys on my way out the door, I make an effort to put them somewhere where I will remember them next time. If leave for work on a day where it’s pouring rain, I’ll prepare for it next time by leaving my umbrella in the car.

Thus, anytime something goes amiss, I look at it as way to prepare, or at least, to reflect on what I need to do or how I can improve things. Things going amiss is inevitable, but the question is, how will we address it?