Return on Life: The Power of Realistic Expectations

Prior to leaving town for nearly a week recently, I stopped by the post office to fill out one of those big yellow cards requesting that our mail be held until our return. Since I wasn't certain what day we would arrive home, I marked the box requesting that it be held until I picked it up. A day later, we made a definitive decision to return on a Saturday. Immediately I thought, "Wow, it would be great to have that week's worth of mail delivered on Saturday--I can go through it while watching NFL football on Sunday, and be ahead of the game." So I stopped back by the post office to request that change. Rather than finding the card I'd already filled out, the clerk handed me a new card, explaining that rather than him going to look for the original one, I should just fill out a new one and they would see both and be able to resolve the difference, and our mail would be waiting for us Saturday when we returned.

I probably don't even need to tell you that our mail was NOT waiting for us when we returned. I picked it up Monday instead. In the past, I'd have been all bent out of shape about the inconvenience, the postal service incompetence, etc. I'd have developed a grumpy mood. But by now I've learned, in situations like this, not to expect that it will turn out right. It would have been a pleasant surprise had the mail been waiting for us! I've also learned that although I might have insisted that the clerk find the original card, because I was about 95% sure it wouldn't work the way he thought, some issues are not worth causing a hassle over. Sometimes it pays to be the more accommodating party. It's not at all about lowering your standards, it's about being realistic.

Think about what makes you grumpy when it doesn't work the way it should. Is it a situation that's worth insisting on, or is it one you can let go, realizing that it's not likely to ever work exactly the way you want, and that's okay!