A recent experience in an elevator reminded me of the ongoing challenges we all have in our business and personal lives. We are faced with a barrage of decisions that arise from our own choices but heavily influenced by the world and the people around us.
Some decisions are easier than others. Should I have a light lowland malt whisky or am I in the mood for a deeper darker peaty Islay whisky. That decision for me is influenced by the weather (if it is colder I tend to lean on the heavier smokier whisky), my mood and external factors such as what is available at the time.
But other decisions are much harder – deciding on what medical insurance to buy, or perhaps even if you can afford to spend the money on the premium. Each time we face impossible choices that challenge our ability to deal with life, pushing some harder and further than others. For some, this can push them into brain health problems, leaving the mind and body spent from the sheer intensity of feeling associated with a decision that seems impossible. But all is not lost and while it may seem bleak now there are steps you can take to cope.
This is Not Your Floor
I was faced with this challenge in an elevator – my misfortune to be in a room on the 20th floor:
The 20th Floor is not in your future
The 20th-floor button was missing. Gone. Removed from existence! I even tried reaching into the gaping hole in the vague hope that the button was there and I might somehow be able to push it.
Ultimately the choice was to step off this ride and pick another elevator.
Coping
In times of difficult choices stepping off for even the briefest of moments helps. Stepping back, breathing and looking at the problems from a new angle or floor can help. Even if the problem remains a moment of pause can bring clarity and some degree of acceptance of the problem. Even if your fortune does not turn as mine did
Getting to the 20th Floor
In this case, stepping into another elevator with a working 20th-floor button. If there were no other elevators, getting to a nearby floor (in my case perhaps 18 or 19 so I could walk up to my floor) or failing that taking the stairs one floor at a time from the ground up.
Incremental steps to Overcoming the Impossible
Things may seem impossible but the following can help
- Step off the Ride of Life
- Pause, take a breath and assess Your Options
- Find other choices and options
- Select something that gets you just a little closer to solving the problem
Life’s elevator can be rough at times with missing buttons for your stops, but that does not mean you cannot get there, you just have to stop and find another way.
