I'm always anxious to learn new things, but sometimes learning comes in unexpected ways - like these three lessons I learned from bird poop.

I'm not saying that getting dumped on by a bird is a good thing, but I can tell you there are plenty of things a lot worse.

I was quite surprised the other day to walk out of the house and find my car dripping with fresh bird droppings. The surprise came because the car was not parked under a tree, in which case getting pooped on could be expected. This was completely unexpected.

My initial reaction, of course, was one of disgust. But later in the day, upon driving out of the car wash, those thoughts of disgust faded off into the background, as I was gifted with a whole new perspective - and perspective is everything.

Here are the three things I learned from bird poop.

1) Bad Things Are A Part of Life: There is nothing we can do to keep bad things from happening. Not parking under a tree did not prevent some feathered bird from using my car as an outhouse. While we can try to reduce the likelihood of an unfortunate incident and eliminate some of the possibilities for disaster, eventually bad fortune is going to find us. We might as well expect it, and not be surprised when it happens.

2) Things Could Always Be Worse: As bad as something may seem at the time, it could always be worse. Finding bird poop on my car first thing in the morning wasn't the best way to start the day, but it was better than finding it in my hair...or finding my car with a flat tire.....or worse yet, not finding my car at all. If we will try to look on the bright side when bad things happen, the realization that things could be worse will help keep it in perspective and make us feel better about a bad situation.

3) It's Not A Permanent Situation:  This, too, shall pass. Sure, it's not pleasant. It's inconvenient. It's not a joyful time. But, we'll deal with it head on, we'll heal, get through it, and move on. It's amazing how the car wash can remove every trace that the vehicle had been crapped on. It now just a memory, and I'm ready to move on and face life's next challenge -- or accept the next reward. Crying only lasts for a season, but joy comes in the morning.

So, the next time you get "pooped" on, remembering these three easy lessons can help you come through your misfortune with flying colors.

 

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