Sometimes Bad Luck Is Good Luck In Disguise
September 8th, 2008
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Photo by Editor B
It’s supposed to cost 59 cents to mail a 6″ x 9″ envelope between 1 and 2 ounces. But every once in a while, one comes back to me for 20 cents of additional postage. So I take it to the post office and ask them to check it, and they weigh it, and they make sure it fits through this slot, and they check with their supervisor, and they can’t understand why it came back to me.
Every time this happened, I got annoyed that I had to waste time getting them to fix their mistake. Until one day, a different person was working there, and she said it’s an extra 20 cents because it doesn’t bend. I wasn’t unlucky the few times it came back, I was lucky all the times it didn’t.
1. Sometimes bad luck is good luck in disguise.
2. Is it any wonder that we debate the Akashic records when modern science is incapable of calculating postage?
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For an interesting read, try Chris Brogan’s new free ebook Personal Branding for the Business Professional. It’s 15 pages and contains “everything from strategy advice to some considerations to over 100 tactics and ideas on what to do next.” Lots of ideas, more than you have time to implement, but it will definitely get you thinking.
And NunoXEI found a Scott McCloud comic that explains Google Chrome. Fun, but technical.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
I’ll stick with science thank you very much.
Vered – MomGrinds last blog post..You Read Women’s Magazines? I’ll Give You Ten Reasons To Stop
September 9th, 2008 at 3:33 am
Hi Hunter,
I heard a saying long ago, “Be glad all of your prayers aren’t answered”. When we think back to that which we hoped for, and what transpired instead, it becomes a big AH-HA moment.
September 9th, 2008 at 6:26 am
I like how a simple case of not pasting enough postage stamps turn out to be a lesson for all. You’ve just shared a very nice message. Thanks!
September 9th, 2008 at 9:12 am
It goes to show how much our perspective has to do with thinking of situations as bad luck or good luck. This reminds me to be looking for the silver lining.
Stacey / Create a Balances last blog post..Personal Development Mantra
September 9th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Gee, I didn’t know what an educational place a post office can be. . . .
Oh, it’s not the post office. It’s YOU who can learn from such a small thing in life ^_^
Akemi – Yes to Mes last blog post..Gratitude Friday, Edition 12, Gratitude And Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone
September 9th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
This is a fun little “proverb tale” with real life foundations. I nearly spead scrolled past your blog in my desire to grind through my hundreds of back-logged RSS feeds due to road trippin’ for the last two weeks. Wasn’t it my lucky surprise to giggle at your tale to then see my name mentioned in the last line
!
Thanks for the link up and I do encourage people to check out Scott McCloud’s book on Chrome if they are curious enough about Google’s desire to enter the browser war game but to lazy or non-technical to care to find out what makes it different enough to even BOTHER entering the browser war. I was impressed enough after reading the first dozen pages or so to find out I was more interested in it’s potential than I ever thought I’d care to think any further about…
Enjoy!
September 9th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
@ Vered, notice I included some facts and figures just for you!
@ Barbara, I guess that’s similar to “be careful what you wish for.” Sometimes we don’t actually want what we think we do.
@ Evelyn, thanks, glad you liked it.
@ Stacey, exactly, it’s easy to always be calling everything bad luck, and not even noticing the good luck you’re having.
@ Akemi, while learning is always up to us, the post office can be quite an educational place. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more lessons to come.
@ NunoXEI, hundreds of feeds is so much. How do you do it? I hadn’t heard much about why Chrome was a big deal, so it was a very informative book. And being a comic made it entertaining as well.
September 10th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Hi Hunter – it’s even worse when they wake your customers up on a Saturday morning & charge them the extra.
September 10th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Hunter,
I’m laughing as I ead this, It reminds me not to complain. You never know when something might turn out to be the thing that is good for you!
Wendi Kelly-Life’s Little Inspirationss last blog post..The Power of Your Secret Weapon
September 10th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
@ Cath, that can’t be good for customer relations, can it?
@ Wendi, that’s true, you never know. And when you find out, it might be long after the fact.
September 12th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I don’t think that’s the lesson at all. The lesson appears to be “assume everyone is stupid.” Obviously, the first two guys had no idea about this rule. I live by this rule, it saves me a lot of trouble.
Chad @ sentient moneys last blog post..Banks Failing…Good News?