What's Your Problem?
Broken Toes, Lost Jobs, Late Night Mishaps and Opportunities A-Plenty.
It’s 3 AM. Not sure if I’m laughing or cyring.
Maybe both?
There is a horrible, perfectly timed high-pitched “chirp.” It’s torturing me. Bouncing off the walls of my middle-of-the-night aching skull.
It’s dying.
The bloody smoke detector. You know the sound those little f***ers make when they’re running out of juice. Yup. That one.
Woken out of dead sleep by the incessant “chirp.”
I’m all outa whack. I’m not in my bedroom. It takes me a minute to remember I’m in the guest room downstairs. Not upstairs where I normally sleep.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know what you’re thinking, “Whatcha do, Lauren? In the dog house?”
Ha, you got the “dog” part right. Our poor pup Reyka (see culprit below) broke a toe on her front paw leaving her incapable of maneuvering a staircase. For EIGHT weeks. A Velcro pup, she won’t leave our side and must be in the same room with us. At. All. Times.
Hence, we’re forced to all sleep on the first floor…
(pretty cute though, right?)
Crawling my corpse out of bed, I unsteadily make my way towards the chirp. It’s at the top of the staircase.
First problem: I can’t reach the damn thing without a ladder.
Second problem: I just realized I’ve never changed a smoke alarm’s batteries. What if I do it wrong and it sets the thing off?
Damn it. I will have to wake Peter. I feel wretched because he just recovered from a back injury earlier that week.
Oh, and did I mention he just lost his job?
Dog’s (very expensive) broken toe with an estimated 8 week recovery. Peter’s layoff and loss of our only household income source. And now THIS. Hence my creepy laughing-crying fit at 3 AM.
It’s moments like these where you start to wonder:
“Who the H-E-double-hockey-sticks did I piss off UP THERE that this is happening to me? Is it because I cheated on that 5th grade math test? Is this my karmic comeuppance all these years later?”
You know the thoughts.
“Why me? Why now?” and “I don’t deserve this. I’m a nice person!!! I always tip 20%!!!”
Maybe you think I’m crazy for admitting this but here it goes…For YEARS I thought life was supposed to be problem-free. That problems were abnormal or some sort of karmic retribution for those math tests I cheated on (Look, arithmetic was/is really for. Okay!)
Maybe it was all the 90s RomComs (I’m looking at you, Father of The Bride) I ingested as a kid but I really thought life was not supposed to have any real difficulties. And, IF problems were abnormal, then something MUST be wrong with me because I kept having all these bad things happen to me over the years.
Even though I stopped thinking that way and I now fully embrace the fact that problems are a part of life.
Sometimes, I still slip into the old belief that life is supposed to be smooth sailing and I get all butthurt and grouchy when it isn’t. Like at three in the morning, standing in my knickers, with a chirping smoke alarm just out of reach, a husband with no job, a dog that’s down a leg, and looking up to the sky, passed the smoke alarm and yelling “HEY, up there!!! Could you maybe like, KNOCK IT OFF! Or at least space these problems out a bit for me?!?!” Answered by…
Chirp!
Chirp!
Chirp!
I know I’m not the only one either. More often than not, I hear people talk about difficulties and setbacks like “this should NOT be happening to me!” A job loss, a demotion, a budget-cut, a cancer scare.
In light of the spring weather we’re having in the Granite State, I’d like to turn to Mother Nature for some wisdom here.
While I’m thrilled to say that Spring. Has. Arrived. Ever notice that it always does? That Spring, I mean, always arrives?
No matter how long and miserable winter may feel, Spring arrives.
Spring follows winter like a bad hangover follows a Scorpion Bowl at Masa Hibachi. It’s guaranteed. All you have to do is wait (and maybe pop some Advil proactively).
As motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said in a 1980s seminar:
“Learn how to take advantage of the spring. Uniquely enough, spring follows winter. And pray tell how often? Six and a half thousand times—I mean, those are good odds, I’d gamble on it one more time, I mean, those are good odds, every time, you can’t beat those odds.
Spring is called opportunity.
Another day is called opportunity.
Days follow nights, how about that. And how often? Every day.”
Opportunity follows difficulty. Just as day follows night and spring follows winter.
If Jim Rohn won’t do it for ya, what about Harvey Dent? In one of my all-time favorite movies The Dark Night Harvey gives a rousing speech in which he says:
And, if Harvey Dent won’t do it for ya, what about Florence and the Machine? In the song “Shake It Off” Florence Welch belts out “it’s always darkest before the dawn!”
Soooooo, if a 1980s motivational speaker and a Batman supervillain and a lady with crazy makeup (and even crazier dance moves) says it. Then, it must be true. RIGHT?!
Losing your job is a difficulty.
No doubt about it. Especially when you didn’t see it coming and you don’t have a Plan B teed up. But even in the toughest of job markets, opportunity abounds. Maybe you start seriously networking and meet all these super awesome humans you never would’ve. Or maybe you decide to take a totally different career path and find out that it’s what you wanted all along.
Your pup breaking a digit is a difficulty.
No doubt about it. Lugging her 70lb canine keister up and down stairs is not for the faint of heart (or back). But then you start taking the dog for drives around the neighborhood in lieu of a walk and you discover so many beautiful spots you never would have seen. You gain a new perspective on where you call home and it gets you thinking about what else you want to see.
Problems are a part of life.
Dying smoke alarms. Lost jobs. Broken toes. All here to stay.
If only you will trust that it is all happening perfectly. That you are not bad, bad things just happen. And trust that it’s always darkest before the dawn.
Day follows night.
Spring follows winter.
Opportunity follows difficulty.
Hello, Spring. 🌷It’s great to see you again.
-- Lauren
Cupalo Conversations Podcast 🎙️:
🎥 Watch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Cupalo
🎧 Listen on Spotify:
Episode #18 Beyond the Gridiron:Life After the NFL with Brandon Archer
In episode 18 of Cupalo Conversations, host Lauren Hannon sits down with her dear friend Brandon Archer, who brings a unique perspective as a former professional football player turned sales expert. Brandon's journey took him from the gridiron with the Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos, and the Rhinos Milano in Italy, to a successful career in IT Solutions sales, and now as the Director of Sales and Marketing at Kasota Stone.
The conversation delves into the challenges that often accompany the transition from professional sports to the corporate world. Brandon shares insights into the physical toll of the game, financial adjustments, and the identity shift that occurs when no longer being defined solely as a football player. Despite these hurdles, Brandon's resilience shines through as he emphasizes the importance of adaptability, competitiveness, and courage in both athletics and business.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Brandon reveals his passion for remote control airplanes, highlighting the significance of having a fulfilling hobby outside of work. He also addresses common misconceptions about professional athletes, shedding light on the realities of their physical and mental health struggles.
Looking ahead, Brandon discusses his aspirations for the future, which include excelling in his current role and venturing into the world of content creation with a YouTube channel focused on remote control hobbies.
Overall, episode 18 offers a captivating glimpse into the multifaceted journey of Brandon Archer, showcasing his unwavering determination and passion for both sports and business.l
Meme of the Week:
Finally leaving your soul-crushing job be like...
"Sayonara"
Book of the Week:
No More Mr. Nice Guy by Robert A. Glover
“Life isn't a merry-go-round, it's a roller coaster. Life won't always be smooth, it may not always be pretty, but it will be an adventure — one not to be missed.”
Job Alerts:
We have a couple startups that are just gearing up to scale and hire and I can’t wait to share more once we get the green light. Just know, marvelous things are coming…
Love this! If recruiting doesn't work out for you (although I know it will), you could definitely go forward as an interviewer/podcaster or a writer... so good!