Last weekend I experienced an opportunity to face some adversity. In the grand scheme what occurred was nothing. But in the moment the change in plans was unsettling.
 
My plan was to visit my brother and his family at his beautiful Kelowna home. The weather was hot and sunny and my mind was filled with joyful stories of relaxing on the beach with a cold refreshment or two, engaging in a game of friendly tennis, and participating in stimulating conversations in the shade of his back yard.

I woke early on Saturday, packed a few belongings, food and refreshments and was on my way by 8:30 am. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was up, the sky was blue, and the traffic was light. I put on my favourite music, slid open the sunroof, and clicked on the cruise control. Life was good.

About 40 km. east of Hope (some would say I was 'beyond hope'), the 'check engine' light flashed on. Then the temperature gauge began to fluctuate wildly. Within a few minutes the needle of the gauge was firmly buried in the red zone and steam was pouring out both sides of my engine hood. I pulled over as quickly as I could. The car sputtered, then stopped.

Undeterred I pulled out my cell phone and punched in directory assistance, hoping to find a local repair shop. When the call repeatedly failed I took a better look at my phone's display. No cell signal.

I could feel my disappointment rising as the reality of my situation began to sink in. It was less and less likely I would be spending the day on the beach or tennis court. I felt a momentary pang of anger. "Why here, why now?" Then, my childhood conditioning kicked in. "What had I done to deserve this?" I could feel my mind searching for an explanation to justify this set back.

Within moments the light of consciousness began to shine through. I started to witness myself and the stories I was authoring in that moment. And as I became conscious of my storytelling and the resulting emotions I began to laugh. How quickly that monkey mind grabs hold! How easy it is to move into blame, shame, and judgment.

So, what to do now?

I noticed that in this moment I was fine. No real harm had come to me. It was still a beautiful day. All that happened was that my story about what I thought would unfold for the day had been changed. It took me a moment to release the story of how the day could have gone and make peace with the day I was having.

I stuck out my thumb. Within minutes a car slowed and pulled over. "Its not a lift I need" I explained to the driver and his wife. "I simply need a tow truck as I'm out of cell phone range." The couple promised to make the call, then wished me a good rest of my day.

I took their advice. I pulled a book out of my pack, sat down in the shade of a tree and immersed myself in the beauty of the moment. And I smiled knowing that I had stared into the face of adversity and come through with grace and ease. All it took was a little acceptance and a decision to make the most of the choices in front of me now.

My task is to remember these simple steps when adversity presents itself with an even bigger story.

In peace,

Ted