Getting Punched in the Face
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” - Mike Tyson
As I type this, Sarah is sick…..very sick. Probably the sickest I’ve ever seen in my life. Here we are, in one of the most beautiful places on earth, staying in an awesome hotel, on an amazing trip. We had so many plans for things to do, places to see, and food to eat. Instead, Sarah is curled up in the fetal position in bed. Homesick doesn’t even begin to describe how she feels. As her husband, I feel helpless. Sure, I’m bummed we lost our day together. More so, I just feel terrible for her and wish I could either fix it or take her place.
As a business owner, I’m all too familiar with the reality we WILL get punched in the face. It’s not an if, but when. Something bad happens almost daily. I was recently with a friend when I received a phone call about something tremendously terrible happening. After I hung up and explained to my friend what had happened, he asked, “why don’t you seem more upset about this?” My answer was simple, “I knew it was going to happen.” Technically, I didn’t know this exact thing was going to happen (it was an atomic bomb of terrible). But I knew something was going to happen. This new situation just happened to be that something. Long ago did I give up my naive expectation of smooth success. The journey is anything but smooth.
Sarah and I are having an amazing trip. We’ve seen things we never imagined, met so many wonderful people, and created memories we will never forget. Then there was today. Sarah and I have a choice to make. We can either keep going and fight through this mess…..or give up. In life, money, and work, we also have the same choice. When we get punched in the face, we can fight through it……or give up. Sadly, I’ve seen far too many people simply give up when the going got tough. These decisions break my heart, as I often know how amazing someone’s journey can be if they would just keep fighting. It’s rarely easy, but always worth it. Perhaps you’re fighting the good fight in a particular area of your money or work. Trying to get out of debt. Saving for a car. Trying to earn a promotion. Building your income to meet your basic needs. We are all fighting some battle. Please keep fighting!
Please pray for Sarah’s health, and for her and I to fight through this to complete our voyage safely. Perhaps someday we’ll look back at this day and laugh about it. But right now, it feels anything but funny.