Crap Gets In The Way

This writing is Certified Human

“Circumstances don’t make the man they only reveal him to himself.” — Epictetus

The Obstacle

We think we have it figured out
Then crap gets in the way.

This is a story about actual crap getting in the way.

For the last two days
I’ve woken up to dog diarrhea on the floor.

The dog had major accidents in the middle of the night
Some of it on the gym floor in the basement
The floor is rubber puzzle pieces
It seeped between them
Under them
Onto the felt floor beneath.

My morning
Usually where my most important work gets done
Was consumed by hours of cleaning up crap
Liquid crap.

It happened again today
Though not as bad
Mercifully not on the gym floor.

It’s not just actual crap that gets in the way
It’s always something. 

The beginning of the week derailed with volunteering obligations.

Then my son’s baseball glove exploded
I had to learn how to relace it before the game.

Then my mower stopped engaging its drive
I had to start diagnosing the problem
It still isn’t fixed
It will probably cost more time
Money and effort.

This week has felt like one long chain
Of cleaning up crap.

Some days are like that.
Some weeks are like that.

Crap gets in the way.

The Gift And Opportunity

The crap was not going to clean itself up
It was up to me
Glove up
Mask up
Get to work.

The gift
My wife didn’t have to clean it up
The floor got a long overdue scrubbing
Listened to podcasts.

Life does not care about my plans.

I could have been angry
Frustrated
Short tempered.

My family would have felt that version of me.

I accepted that crap gets in the way
Stayed calm
Collected
Present.

I did not allow crap
To make me crappy.

The Practice Of Self-Mastery

• Notice the crap
• Accept that shit happens
• Recalibrate and handle the work
• Refuse to pass frustration onto others

CHEAT CODE: NOTICE → ACCEPT → RECALIBRATE → HANDLE IT → CHOOSE YOUR VERSION