Have you ever experienced disappointments that meant you have to wait more than you have expected or cancellations that implies that you have more time than you have a plan for, in the form of unpleasant surprises and distractions from your goal? You probably made a plan for something else but could not follow it through for that purpose because of an interruption.
It could be a missed train or a cancelled journey. It could be a missed opportunity or an appointment that got cancelled for no fault of yours. It could be a flight that got cancelled or a flight you could not board for some reason or probably one you missed by some seconds—it means you have to wait for another—what would you do with that time, while you wait?
There are some cases where you can revert what has happened, but in others, you cannot change was has happened. You have to make an alternative arrangement or do something else to save the situation. Yes, the flight has indeed been cancelled, the train has departed, the position has been occupied, the accident has happened, the tyre of the car is flat, the key got broken, the winner of the competition was announced, the grades have been finalised, the financial decision was ill-informed, the investment is lost, the lists of graduands have been published, the rules have changed, the new rules were published, or the chosen candidate was declared. Whatever the situation or circumstance, it has happened, but it was not you, or the outcome was not what you expected. The change has already happened, so what would you do with the time you have?
Some may use all the time to complain to anyone that cares to listen, their voices may be heard, but that may not change the situation. They could justify their action or inaction and probably that of someone else possibly to prove that they are not at fault, but the circumstance may remain the same.
Some people may wait, wishing for the situation to change, hopeful that somehow the departed plane will come back to pick them up. They imagine that the punctured tyre of the car will suddenly gain the lost pressure without doing anything. They anticipate that the departed train or bus will turn around to pick up the passenger that arrived late and was left behind. They secretly wish that the occupied position will be advertised again for applications. They expect that the broken key will become unbroken again. They desire that the accident will become undone, or the election outcome gets swapped so the loser can become the winner or that the decision taken will suddenly become a good one. It is a wish that what occurred become undone—that the situation gets restored as if nothing has happened.
It is a wish, remains a wish and many people have found that waiting for something like this to happen or wishing for such a change may not always be the best use of time as it rarely happens. If it does, they are rare occurrences, especially where there is order and consistency.
Another possible reaction is to solve the problem that has already occurred. If you only talk and talk, that may not change anything, if you only wait and wish, that may not solve the problem either, but if you could do something to change the situation and possibly reduce the loss, that may be a good use of the spare time.
We face challenging situations every day, and sometimes we need to do something about them to see a meaningful change. It is helpful to know that we can reduce the loss we experience by having a positive approach, which entails making the best of an already bad situation. If nothing else, you would have prevented it from becoming worse.
Are you experiencing some unpleasant surprises? If so, ask yourself what you can do to reduce the loss instead of waiting for it to get better or complaining to make yourself justified. You can also learn as you consider what you could have done to avoid the mess you found yourself. It would help you understand and also prepare you for the future to prevent a reoccurrence.
You may look wise for winning the argument, but you may have lost more than you could ever imagine. If you only wait for things to get better, you will see time elapse, and the only comfort you will have is a wish that things will get better. You may later discover that it would have improved if you did something worthwhile to make it better.
What has happened to you is not enough to bring you down or bring you to a standstill. You have the power to do something positive while you wait that can change the situation for the better. You can choose to do what will bring change even while you wait.
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