One day, I was driving home from a happy hour, still in suit and tie, when I hit the car in front of me. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with fear. I could feel it coursing through my entire body, gripping me tighter and tighter. Questions began to flood my thoughts — “Did I drink responsibly?” “Am I okay to drive?” “What happens if I get a DUI?” “Could my employer fire me for that?”
In less than a flash, I’d gone from basking in the successful meeting I’d had with a client to being an unemployed felon. But then I began to re-take authority over my mind. I declared “Ain’t bad, just is” and “the problem is the gift.” As suddenly as the negative thoughts came in, new thoughts began to form, each more powerful than the last. “I am okay with any outcome.” “I did not finish my second drink for a reason…my discipline around alcohol will pay off in this very moment.” “How can I be a blessing to the car in front of me?”
At that point, I got out of the car and met with the family that I had hit. I was glad for the opportunity to see how they were doing, and to assure them that this matter would be handled with the highest level of integrity and honor. When the police arrived, they were beyond nice to me; they never even asked if I’d had a drink! In the end, my auto insurance covered everything and I ended up with a new car. So did the family I hit.
I know everything changed the moment I remembered that “The Problem is the Gift.”
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