I was watching a presentation today and Danny Iny shared a quote that really landed for me as a Universal Truth: “There is no situation that is so bad that you can’t make it worse by overreacting!” I believe this may be an extension to the original quote from Astronaut Chris Hadfield was about dealing with things in space that may not have included the overreacting part. 

“There is no situation that is so bad that you can’t make it worse by overreacting!”

Paraphrase of Astronaut Chris Hadfield

That quote is reminding me that there is wisdom in thinking through and exploring our choices, options, and possibilities – both good and bad – when it comes to the outcomes of making choices.  I’ve made some preliminary choices that are leading me down a path that will significantly change how and where I’m investing my time and money in the short term.  Life presented me with some great opportunities, and I’ve taken advantage of a particular situation that has provided significant benefit and possibilities.  What it didn’t present was a clear answer to some very important questions like, “Is this the right path for me to continue on, right now?”  It provided me with some very valuable knowledge and reconnected me with some experiences upon which I can rely as I move forward.  The direction of movement and the ultimate goal of that movement is still up for debate, unfortunately.  I had hoped that I’d have a clearer answer, and in a way, I do – this isn’t for me right now.

My twisted sense of humor has combined a couple of adages that make me smile.  The result is, “You can’t run over squirrels with a parked car!”  This twist combines the idea that you will make more progress toward your destination if you ignore all of the “bright shiny objects” or “Squirrels” if you happen to be a dog, plus the idea that you can’t steer a parked car.

The bottom line is another universal truth: If you are going to expect to end up at your desired destination, it will take maintaining your focus on moving toward that destination, by ignoring the distractions, while continuing to course-correct through the inevitable twists and turns that are a part of any journey.

I still like my twisted version better!  What Squirrels have you “run-over” lately on your journey?  Please leave your answer in a comment below!