When Life Throws You a Curveball

In my role as a counselor, I’ve learned a lot about the different ways that people cope with change, handle challenges, or overcome obstacles in life. I’ve come to believe that folks respond in one of three basic ways when life throws a curveball their way.

Worrying on the Sidelines?

First, there are those that stand on the sidelines of life, wringing their hands. They’re hoping that someone—anyone but them—will jump in and take the lead in coping with the problem. The hand-wringers in the world are either convinced they don’t have what it takes to tackle a challenge or else would rather someone else do the heavy lifting.

Lost in Left Field?

Then there are those that are hanging out in the outfield, just twiddling their thumbs, not even aware that a major challenge is headed their way. While they may not be impeding progress, they’re doing nothing to move the process along. These folks may actually be oblivious to the meteor hurtling towards them or they might just be "faking clueless" so that they are absolved of any expectations about responding to the crisis.

Playing for the Win?

Lastly, there are those that are ready to roll up their sleeves and get down to business. They may not have all the answers, but they’re willing to pitch in and do whatever they can to move things forward. They radiate competence and make others feel that they’ve got everything under control. Sometimes the appearance of confidence and a positive attitude can change the momentum of a game in no time at all.

Whose Side are You On?

In essence, when we meet a challenge in life, there are basically three ways to respond: 1) Standing on the sidelines of the problem and wringing your hands as you give into doubt and fear; 2) Pretending that you can’t see the problem and twiddling your thumbs oblivious to the crisis going on around you; or 3) Stepping up, rolling up your sleeves, and pitching in however you can. Research shows that attitude and confidence both positively influence performance. Sounds a lot like the old "Build it and they will come" promise, doesn't it?

There’s an old saying that the only thing constant is change. With the number of changes that the world seems to be offering up lately, let’s hope that the number of folks who are ready to roll up their sleeves outnumber the ones who don’t when our team goes to bat.