An Inconvenience Rightly Considered

In my youth, I loved to ‘run rivers’. Whitewater canoeing was a passion. One of my favorite memories is a trip down the Eagle Fork in the Ouachita Mountains. It was raining and the small tributary was fast and mean. We fell down a waterfall, crashed into stumps, narrowly missed barbed wire and stayed soaked for most of the trip. Our campfires were a glorious respite and our beef jerky tasted like steak from a four star restaurant. Nothing on that trip went as planned, It was awesome.

In business and life, we plan and plan. Strategy, forward thinking will be our advantage. What happens when things do not go as planned?

We had a good plan, solid….we thought. Our family was moving back to our original home after years of traveling. I was going to start a new company while my wife would provide some solid ground with good employment. We had savings, a place to live and a vision. Opportunities that seemed like sure things disappeared, money left faster than it came, people did not come through as we had hoped, things did not go as planned.

Instead of concentrating on a new company, I found myself scrambling for work. Not wanting to take anything longterm, I became a craigslist junkie. In a span of four months, I worked as a chauffeur, chef, casino dealer, insurance inspector, and a funeral attendant. I also participated in a few surveys and studies for cash.

What do we do when things go wrong? This is the very heart of adventure and life. Seldom does a life go exactly as planned. Even if it did, how boring would that be.
We are not captivated by a story that reads; “everything went as planned, it was easy and success came at no cost.”

The lessons of the adventure are our guide to the path of wisdom. Years after an adventure, will you talk how perfectly planned your itinerary was, how well you packed your bags, planned your meals? Hopefully, your eyes will light as you recount the time you fell down a rocky slope, explored an unknown cave, dumped over a waterfall and survived it all to see the beauty of the mountains, caves and rivers. As G.K. Chesterton once said “An adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered and an inconvenience is an adventure, wrongly considered.”

I joined the John Maxwell Team with the hopes of making a difference in the lives of others while providing for my family. While things have not gone as planned, there has been some success. I have engaged three coaching clients and been blessed to watch them grow and advance in their professions. It is a challenging roller coaster of thought and emotion.

Some days, I question whether I have made the right choice, others I find renewed optimism and charge forward. The John Maxwell Team provides that lift I need when I face doubts. Shared stories, wins and losses propel us forward. As Dr. Maxwell writes Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn. I am grateful for the opportunity that the program delivers. I am learning on this adventure and am not deterred by setbacks. As I continue to seek my niche, I know the opportunities will come and I will have some great stories to share about the climb.

About the Author

Gary Sirkel is a Featured Writer for the John Maxwell Team Blog.