Rejection

How many times have you rejected outside advice to long-standing problems that you are having with the curt dismissal, "because that's not how I usually do things"? I don't know about you, but for me that dismissive answer is my usual go-to reply. This is one that I have thrown back into the face of folks ennumerable times in my life. Actually, it is not by chance that I have linked this post to a photograph of a basketball rejection. Here the shot of the offensive player is deflected away from the basket by the defensive player. A particularly photogenic "rejection" is one in which the defensive player swats the ball back into the face of the offensive player who attempted the shot.

Of course, the obvious retort to the statement, "because that's not how I usually do things", runs along the line, "So, how is your usual way of doing things working out?". Seen in the harsh light of ongoing, continual frustration or failure, perhaps it is time that I purposefully set aside my usual way of doing things and try a different approach. It is certainly the case that the reason why we cling to our usual ways and methods is because they are as comfortable as an old shoe, as huggable as our favorite soft blanket. So if we want to have success in an area where we have struggled for a long time, we have two possible paths to take:

1. Try something new and explore new paths, while continuing to tweak our approach and look for what might work for others and adapt what we learn to our situation.
   
2. If we are not going to make any changes, then we need to stop whining and fretting and gnashing our teeth because we know how things will likely work out in the future.