Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a car enthusiast. Imagine my excitement at the age of three when my mom, Kathy, announced we were going to the car dealership to pick up my grandmother’s brand new 1979 Chrysler Cordoba.
My sisters Heidi (age 4), Amy (age 2), and I had fallen asleep during the ride to the dealership. Upon arrival, instead of waking us, Kathy decided to park within eyesight while she and my grandmother checked out the new car.
Having woken about five minutes later, I climbed over the front seat and decided to commandeer the vehicle by pulling the gearshift into neutral. Screams of sheer terror rang from the backseat and permeated the surrounding area. Much to Kathy’s dismay, the commotion centered on her car, which was slowing rolling downhill from the customer parking lot toward the showroom floor.
Without hesitation, and eight months pregnant with my sister Jamie, Kathy dropped her handbag, flung off her heels, and dashed for the moving vehicle, which by this time had picked up some speed. In a flash, Kathy arrived at the car, flung open the driver-side door, jumped in the front seat, and engaged the emergency brake. The almost three-ton vehicle came to a screeching halt within mere inches of the showroom’s glass facade. A cry from the group of assembled spectators exclaimed, “that woman can run really fast for a fat lady!”
Albeit not always as dramatic as an out-of-control car, everyday each of us encounter unforeseen situations that require us to make split-second decisions. It is these moments that truly define our personal brand. Encompassed in the situation, we neglect to recognize that onlookers are paying close attention. How we comport ourselves can not only have a significant impact on our course of action, but more importantly solidify the trust of those watching from the sidelines.
In the face of the unexpected:
Buy time to think. Do everything within your power to avoid a trigger-happy decision by buying yourself some time. If you’re in a meeting, take a bathroom break. If you’re on the road, pull over. If you’re in your office, get up and take a walk. You’d be surprised how much clarity you can muster in 60 seconds.
Consider available options. Avoid the exercise of wishing things were different or wondering why they are happening to you. Instead, determine the desired outcome and assess the information and resources immediately available to make that outcome come to fruition.
Act. Based on your assessment, decide on a course of action. Even if the decision isn’t ideal, accept that it’s the best you can achieve given the circumstances and act without further delay.
In the words of Helen Keller, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
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Jonathan,
Another wonderful post! I knew about your passion for cars when we worked together almost a decade ago, and your mom is in the business as well.
To Ed Poll: you can still “pull” the emergency brake on some cars (both of my late model sports cars have that type and the E-brake handle in both cars is located close to the driver’s right hand).
This post was right on time – just last week I encountered a situation where things might have turned out differently if I had read it before I reacted. Family members do know how to push a person’s buttons!
Dale
Fabulous story … raises all kinds of images, just what a great story is supposed to do. I suspect, however, that your mother didn’t have time to think and consider options. Back in the days … one didn’t “engage” the emergency brake, one “pulled” it, an easier task then than now, a I recall. Nevertheless, I’m sure this was a “character building” event for both you mother and for you.
Thanks for sharing.
I learned something new about you today, Jonathan. I didn’t know about your enthusiasm for cars.
We’re on the same wavelength – I’m blogging this week about the usefulness of “why” versus “what.” Per your suggestion, “avoid the exercise of wondering why things are happening to you,” I find that “why” sends me into a spiral of introspection whereas “what” leads me toward my next action. I only hope I can sprint as fast as your mom.