How I landed a role in my favorite comedy

When was the last time something went wrong for you at what seemed like the worst possible time? ??

Maybe you were late for work and your bike chain came off (or your car needed filling up)… Maybe your Uber driver cancelled when you had an important flight to catch… or maybe you spilled coffee on your shirt just before an interview... ? 

For me, it was a few days ago. I had just woken up from one of my mid day naps (daily napper and proud ???? ) but for some reason I must have gotten out the wrong side of the sofa because I was feeling very irritable and in a bad mood.

Everything was annoying me. The noise from the children having fun outside my flat… the slow speed at which my kettle wasn’t boiling … the fact that my tea was too hot... then too cold as I forgot to drink it… 

You know, just one of those days!

And, of course, this was the exact time my computer decided to do a force update... I was fuming and about to explode. ??

I decided to help myself to some of my homemade pickles, hoping that their juicy deliciousness would relax me a bit. ??

But obviously the universe had other plans… Instead of opening the jar on the kitchen counter like a normal person, I decided to do it standing up. Twisting it open, I lost my grip, and sent pickle juice flying all over myself, the fridge, the cupboards and the floor. ??

Needless to say, I was about to lose my s*%t! But before I could collapse on the floor crying in pure desperation, something happened. For a SPLIT second I saw myself and the ridiculous slapstick nature of this situation for what it was...hilarious. 

Because let’s be honest, had this been a scene in a Pink Panther movie or a Mr. Bean episode, I would have burst out laughing. ??

So that’s what I did. Instead of getting wrapped up in how “unfair” this was or how “stupid” I was, I just let myself find the humor in the situation. And before I knew it, I felt way lighter and wasn’t in a bad mood anymore. 

Weirdly, spending such a short moment in a different frame of mind completely shifted how I felt.

So often we get caught up in judging the situations in our lives that “don’t go our way” that we forget to view them for what they really are. We often take things so personally, forgetting how much control we have over our own interpretations, and that by reframing them we can completely change our state.

So the next time you find yourself in the middle of a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day,” just for one second imagine that you’re watching yourself in a Pink Panther movie. You’re being played by Inspector Jacques Clouseau and about to get judo chopped by your butler. ???

You’re standing there covered in bike chain oil, asking yourself what life decisions led you to this moment and suddenly it’s funny. It’s funny because of how ridiculous it is.

“But what if I go back to being annoyed?” You might ask. So what if you do! 

At least you got to experience a few seconds of lightness. At least you got to smile for just one second. And guess what… the more you do this, the better you get at changing state. 

After all, life is fun if we let it be. We don’t always have to be so serious! ??

If this resonates and you’re committed to living your best Laurel and Hardy life, drop a comment below with YOUR favorite clumsy movie character! Who plays YOU when things don’t seem to be going your way?

Originally published at www.alexlifecoach.com on November 4th 2020