When Things Go Unexpectedly Well
The universe works in interesting and often surprising ways.
Right now I find myself oscillating between anger, depression, and hope because our world feels broken to me, so I offer you these words as a silver lining and perhaps a beacon of hope. Because sometimes things go unexpectedly well.
Side note: my weekly quotes (and blog posts) are mapped out in a spreadsheet that I made in 2019. (it’s the basis of my book). It continues to astonish me how well each quote lines up with what’s happening in the world and in my life, so that I can share the words that feel right for that moment in time. I thank the universe for that. May you find comfort here too.
Now back to your regularly scheduled blog post.
Have you tried to predict an outcome with certainty only to fall flat on your face and feel like a failure?
Life is like that sometimes, but those falls, those failures, are actually gifts. You just can't see through the ugly wrapping job with way too much tape (yet).
Many years ago, there was an opening in management at the yoga studio where I taught.
I thought this management role would be a fun to step into and I thought I’d be good at it too.
It made sense to my career path, I was an admired teacher from both my students and the other yoga teachers. Two teachers even told me to my face that they thought I’d be great at managing!
The thing was though, for every teacher audition and interview I’d been a part of they’d all been pretty informal.
Every class I wanted to teach, every program I wanted to lead, those were just handed to me.* So I thought this management job was in the bag, I just needed to make it official.
Because of that I didn't take the interview seriously. I thought I already had the job.
So when I walked in completely unprepared, I failed that interview, hard. I couldn't remember the five pillars that the studio stood for and I froze, total deer in headlights panic moment. It was like all of that stuff that I knew in my head flew out the window. The icing on the cake was when I put my boss’s boss on edge, something I said triggered her to the point that she started sputtering her words! I knew I was doomed then.
When I walked out of that interview I felt absolutely defeated.
Instead of simply hanging my head in shame, I made it worse! I sent an email to my boss and her boss (the one I made sputter) with very frantic and unclear wording that made it look like I would buckle and lose my stuff under pressure. I didn't step up and show that I could be a manager and it looked like I was someone that would crumble and fall when I didn't know what to do. And that's not who I really am.
I felt defeated for a long time and even resented my friend who got the manager position. Overtime though I realized that it wasn't the right role for me, that wasn't the place where I was going to grow and succeed.
By not getting that job it set me on a very different path, and if that hadn’t happened I likely would not have written these words that you’re reading now.
I’m thankful for my journey, the curve balls that come my way, and the beautiful surprises (like discovering that I’m a writer), that fall in my lap!
Not getting that manager position was one of the best things to happen to me.
It caused me to look at my life differently, to think a little bit broader and bigger,and it gave me a more rounded perspective of who I am and I'm so thankful for that.
When did you experience a disappointment that in time you were thankful happened?
Take a few minutes to journal on this question, you might be surprised by what comes up.
Need a some support with journaling? Get my FREE Thoughtful Journaling Guide Here. It teaches you how to journal in a short amount of time and feel good about the process. CLICK HERE to get your free guide.
*A note on privilege. I acknowledge that I am a white woman and to say that every class I wanted to teach, every program I wanted to lead, were just handed to me, is evidence of my privilege. This story illustrates the assumptions that I held and is part of my lived experiences.
Kerstin Phillips is a Life Coach & Yoga Instructor, E-RYT 200 living in Berkeley, California with her daughter, husband, and kitty, Pesto.
She loves to journal, read, do all things yoga, and hike in Tilden.
Kerstin guides women and non-binary folx out from the shadows so they can embrace their true selves, feel confident in their decisions, and define their purpose, because everyone is valuable and no one deserves to be overlooked.
