Call me late to the game but it just dawned on me that life is a steady stream of curve balls. You can replace the words “curve balls” with the word “Reality” and arrive at the same conclusion.

Expecting the unexpected is an approach to life that most of us do not take. We get to a point where we think all is settled and we want it to stay that way.

Life is dynamic, not static.

On the surface, this sounds like we’re at the mercy of reality. But the saving grace to a curve ball is the ability to respond.

When we resist reality, we react. That means we do the same thing we did last time. When we notice and accept reality, we create a space where we can choose a response. It’s the response that takes us down a new path – one that reaction doesn’t know about.

I wish it wasn’t the way it is, but curve balls are a staple of life. Rant and rave all you want and even shake your fist at God if you choose. But after you recognize that isn’t working, let your reaction go and seek out a response.

I’m not sure if Yogi Berra ever said the following or not: “Responding to a curve ball will increase your batting average, but if you stick with resistance, you are destined to strike out.”

All the best,

John