When It Rains Trouble, Put Up Your Umbrella & Dance

Stupid.
Irresponsible.
Unreliable.

That’s what I would have been calling myself a year ago. In a puddle of tears, I would have cried out, “I can’t do anything right! Why can’t I ever catch a break?” But not that day. On that day, I managed to control my emotions instead of letting them control me. This time, I won – not my depression.

“Our flight leaves in 15 minutes,” my husband screeched. Not exactly what you want to hear jolting you from a deep sleep. We both pounced out of bed, threw on clothes, grabbed our suitcases, and rushed out the door.

What Went Wrong

We were supposed to get up at 3:45 am and it was now 5:50 am. The airport was only 5 minutes away from our hotel. But after wrestling luggage in and out of the car and frantically running from the parking garage into the terminal, a desperate search of the Departure board revealed our 6:00 am flight had departed without us.

A year ago, still weak in my attempts to control my emotions, I would have sat down and cried. After all, it was a holiday weekend. What if we couldn’t get another flight or they charged a huge rebooking fee? What if …? There is a world of what ifs at a moment like that.

That’s what would have happened. A year ago. When I was depressed and anxious. But that’s not what was happening. For some reason, things were different this time.

Let’s rewind and see why anxiety and depression didn’t rule my life on this occasion.

Can’t Change the Situation – Change Your Reaction

Yes, I pounced out of bed, quickly dressed, threw things in my suitcase, and raced out the door. But let’s get serious. That’s what you do when you just woke up, and your flight leaves in 15 minutes.

However, what I didn’t do was panic. Sure, I was a little frantic, and frustrated, when I saw our flight had departed without us, but it was clear my husband felt the same way, and he doesn’t suffer from depression.

This time, crying didn’t even cross my mind. And the only name I called myself was problem-solver. Instead of replaying the entire morning (okay – 15 minutes) thinking of what I’d done wrong, I slowly walked to the ticket counter. After all, I couldn’t change the fact we overslept and missed our flight. That was history. The only thing I could change was my reaction and what I did as a result.

What Was Different

I remember waiting for the smiling agent to deliver my sentence. Would I miss my vacation due to lack of seats? Would my bank balance take an unexpected hit for rebooking fees? Fortunately, the verdict was no on both counts.

As I sat on the plane two hours later, I realized how calm and peaceful I felt. Not frazzled, frantic, or like a failure. After a year of healing and focused effort on living by the Serenity Prayer, I had learned to accept what I couldn’t change. I managed to control my emotions. On that day, finally, I was victorious over my depression.

It’s true. Sometimes it rains. On me and in my life. After all, I live in Florida, the Sunshine State, and even there – it rains. It even pours sometimes. There’s nothing I can do to stop it. But when it does, I have two choices:

• Sit inside and complain about the rain, or
• Put up my umbrella and dance in it

I say let it rain. In fact, let it pour. Because I found my umbrella, and I’ve learned how to dance. And if I can’t find my umbrella, I guess I’ll get wet. But one thing is for sure. I refuse to miss out on another moment of my life because I’m busy complaining about the rain.

Need more inspiration and encouragement? Join me on Facebook on the Sadness to Joy page. That’s where you’ll find the daily encouragement and accountability you need to help bring your plan into existence.

What rain is falling in your life right now? What thoughts are holding you back from moving forward despite the rain?