When things go wrong
We have a limited amount of energy that we can use; it’s up to us to use it wisely.
The wise will always invest his energy in what he thinks will bring back the best return.
“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”
- Jimmy Dean
It’s always up to us to invest our energy or not. Whatever anyone would say about this, we always have the last say in how we use our energy.
Let me tell you a little story.
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Marc was working in a Jeans factory. It was his 15th year working there and things were great. He was earning a good salary. He was living a good life without much worry.
Joe was also working at the same factory and earning the same salary as Marc. He was living a good life without much worry too.
Then someday, the factory closed. Bang! No warning! Joe and Marc just showed up to a lock door with a note indicating that the factory was in bankruptcy. They got a compensation for one month salary and it was all.
Marc got really angry and started a group to protest against the bankruptcy of the factory. He got into the media and worked really hard to build a public response to what they were living. He did spend a lot of his own energy into this. 3 months later, he was still without a job or income.
Joe got angry about what happened. But he didn’t join Marc on his anger campaign. He took a few days to think about his options and what he could do to find a way to earn as much as he did with his old job. Joe started to apply for a new job the next week. It was hard, he wasn’t alone applying to those jobs, but he didn’t give up. He kept going on, investing a lot of time and energy toward finding a new job. 3 months later, he was still without a job.
Marc found out that he would not get his job back with the old factory. He did not get anything back with his anger campaign. The public just got tired of him and he could not find a media to publish anything more about his fight. His fame was fading fast. So Marc started to look around to see what he could do to change his situation. He started to apply for new jobs. 4 month later he was still without a job.
Joe didn’t give up and kept applying for new job. He was getting more and more chances to get an interview and sell himself to a lot of good company. He didn’t know what would happen, but he kept on applying daily for new jobs. 4 month later he was still without a job.
Marc didn’t have enough energy left to really keep him motivated. The angry campaign drained a lot of his energy. He’s doing his best to apply to new jobs. 5 month later he was still without a job.
Joe finally found a good job in a good company. He’s motivated and looks behind to what happen as a great opportunity to find a better job with this great company. He’s positive about the future. 5 month later he has found a great new job.
Marc just can’t put enough energy into his job search. His results are low and his interview results are even worst. Some of the new employer recognises him for the anger campaign he did for his old job. Some of those new employers didn’t agree with Marc and discard him as a trouble maker. Marc is discouraged; he kept on talking about the way he lost his job and how bad it is for him. He wants others to take care of him and give him a new job. He think he deserve it because he lost a lot. 12 month later he was still without a job.
Joe is happy in his new job. He’s investing a lot of energy to make his mark and gain the respect of his fellow worker and employer. 12 months later he’s happy.
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Marc and Joe are two good people. They didn’t deserve what happened.
We all have choices to make. We all have battle to choose. Whatever you choose, you’ll have to live with it.
Yes, maybe Marc could have won something with his anger campaign. But let’s be real, using negative energy to get something is choosing the hard way to do it. He did make a lot of noise about it, but that’s all he got… noise…
Choose your fight! You are the one to choose where you should invest your energy. Choose wisely, because when your energy is spent, it’s gone. You can’t change the past.
“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”
- Aristotle Onassis
Don’t focus your energy on negative action.
Look to the future and invest your energy to make it better.
A lot of people will whine and comfort themselves in being a victim. Sorry to say this, but victim can’t change what happened to them. But they can change how they want to go on from that point.
“Definition of a victim: a person to whom life happens.”
- Peter McWilliams
Don’t play the victim game. You’ll win nothing with it.
Don’t expect on getting back what you lost.