There is an expression used among baseball scouts, “Can he hit the curveball?’ The curveball is commonly viewed as the most difficult pitch to hit. Even the most talented prospect will be un-drafted if he is identified as a player who can’t hit the curve. By the way, if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend the Clint Eastwood classic, Trouble with the Curve.
Life throws curve balls at us all the time. There are large ones that really knock us off center and there are small ones. The small ones are the curve balls which put us off our game on a daily basis and create the idea of the daily grind.
Those endless days where everybody and everything annoy you. An incredibly demanding client who is very hard to work with. The uncooperative or bully agent on the other side of a transaction. A partner nagging you about something unimportant to you. An unexpected bill in the mail that exceeds the amount you have in the bank. It’s these curve balls which ultimately turn a potentially good week into an absolute drag. If only we could eliminate them from our lives, then life would be so much easier for us all. Unfortunately, that’s not how life works. For the most part, we can’t change these irritating events that are part of modern life. If we want a better way of living, or a better outcome, there is only one thing we can change and that is our response to these events. As the famous motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, succinctly phrased it once: “Event + Response = Outcome”
When you get one of the curve balls thrown at you, what is your response? Most of us have a predictable response to the “in your face” curve ball. We are conditioned over time to how we react or in some cases, overreact. One person may get very angry, screaming expletives and making everyone around them know how frustrated they are. Another may take a deep breath, count to 10 and figure out a way to hit the curve ball out of the park.
So, which are you? The great thing for us as human beings is that we can transform and control our natural reactions to the curve ball. Sometimes we can see a bad thing coming our way and take action ahead of time to lessen any negative impact. Denial certainly won’t help.
Other times, we don’t see it coming and the curveball comes out of nowhere. We have all been in the middle of a transaction that suddenly takes a turn for the worse for any number of reasons. So, what is your response? Do you bitch, moan, and complain angrily? Or do you acknowledge the situation, own your responsibility in the situation and ultimately fix the situation?
I realize it’s idealistic thinking, but I think everyone should make every attempt to acknowledge how they react to life’s curveballs. If you are someone who can see this is an area where you could use some work, that is step one. Now you can make deliberate effort in trying to better manage your reactions and responses to challenging circumstances. When we can do that, I believe we have taken the next steps towards becoming masters of hitting the curveball.
