Time check. It was 6.30 a.m already. How did she sleep so deeply that she forgot she had an appointment with a client? Rolling over her bed, Tyna got up fast, had a quick shower, dressed up, had a light breakfast and left for Lagos Island. She had hopes of making her appointment on time. Then it occurred to her she may have to battle with Lagos traffic. Anyway, she would drive against the traffic. There has got to be a safe and fast route. That would be her choice. They had scheduled the appointment for 9 a.m. After all her preparations, she was set to leave home few minutes past seven.
As she turned the ignition, her car refused to start. “Not again” She cried “Not today of all days please”. She would have called Mr Bolade, her mechanic, to do his job, but she was running late. Bricks and Co. were her recent clients. She didn’t want to make a wrong impression. She had to put her best foot forward while presenting the proposal so they buy into it. Arriving late for an appointment was a complete no-no. She had to ensure she arrived at their office on time, at least to catch her breath and reorganise herself before making the presentation.
The next thing, Tyna ordered an Uber. The driver was as slow as a snail. She decided that she would not complain, instead keep her cool. She could not hold much longer after he took a route with heavy traffic. She had to cancel the trip while in traffic and board a bike.
She heaved a sigh of relief. At least , there was no way that the Lagos traffic would be an obstacle. Suddenly, it rained cats and dogs. Her white crisp shirt was ‘designed’ with mud. “Oh, no” This time, her outburst was loud. Should she go back home and change? She had set out in a white shirt on black skirts with checked blazers. She looked at her time, it was 8.30a.m. Based on her calculation, if she went back home to change her wear, there was no way she could make the appointment. She thought of rescheduling it but it was a long time coming. She had to go ahead with her plans. She would use her blazers as cover up, no one would notice the stains.
Soaked in rain, she paid her fare upon arrival at her destination. Then she realised she had not taken enough cash along. She would have to make a withdrawal. Thankfully, she had twenty minutes to spare. Sighting an ATM opposite the Wick and Co building, she dashed there. She tried to make a withdrawal but there was no service.
It was now 8: 50 a.m. She quickly used the restroom as she entered the reception. She looked at herself in the mirror. Speaking to herself, she said, you got this. It kept reechoing in her head. Then she went back to the reception. To her utmost surprise, the appointment had been rescheduled. The manager, who was unavoidably absent, was on a business trip and had called for a change in the dates. She didn’t get to know about this development because she forgot her phone at home!
“What a day!” Tyna thought to herself. Instead of focusing on the negatives, she was thankful that the situation could have been worse. She took a deep breath, sat down to gather her thoughts before taking her next action.
What do you do when it seems everything is going wrong? Do you complain and give up or fight and make it work? It is better to focus on the positives in unpleasant situations. Besides, it could have been worse.