How you react could make or break you

It happens all the time everywhere. You’ve seen it. You may have even been involved. I saw it earlier this week.

Driving down the road and a car cuts off another car. In order to avoid that crash, the “victim” car swerves out of the way and guess what happens next….yep, you got it. THAT car cuts off another car and gets into an accident.

Car 1 cuts Car 2 off. Car 2, in an effort to avoid the crash, swerves into the next lane, thereby cutting off Car 3 and causing an accident. Now, Car 3 is the asshole. Car 1 — the one that started all of this — most likely drives away oblivious to anything. Damn you, Car 1.

Curse. Brake. Lay on horn. Hold on.

I was once told that if someone cuts you off, brace for impact because you’re getting into a collision. Whatever you do, do_not_swerve in the next lane. I know…strange, and admittedly not universally sound advice.

But the point is that it’s better to see the shit coming, have some control, be (somewhat) prepared to brace yourself and get hit from the front, than it is to swerve to avoid it and blindly cause another crash on the side, which is worse.

But, as you know, it’s instinct to avoid Car 1 and it’s hard to just go against instinct because you read it in a blog somewhere. Yes, even this blog where you surely get all your wisdom. Surely.

Destiny is often met on the path taken to avoid it.

Ok, listen…I’m not telling you to go drive like a teenager that has just pounded three Red Bulls. This whole car thing is all a metaphor.

What I am saying is that no matter what you do and how you do it, it’s going to get bumpy from time to time because the shit is going to come your way. How you react to it is everything.

Of course you should avoid these incidents as much as you can. Of course. But there are going to be those times when you see a shitstorm coming and bracing for it is the only way to handle it.

It’s true in entrepreneurship. It’s true in parenting. It’s true in just about anything.

When I first started building an e-commerce music supply brand, I did everything I could to avoid obstacles. Now, as a self-sustaining and growing venture, it’s become a little more solid to withstand the unexpected bumps that come with the territory.

In your efforts to avoid the bad shit, be careful not to swerve and become the bad shit.

May your roads be clear and your horn be super crazy loud.

#bewhatyoumake