The person you would want to be stuck in an elevator with
I sometimes think about the type of person I would like to be. I’ve built a habit of creating these aspirational visions of my future self and trying to break down the steps that can get me there.
My goal is to be the type of person that you would want to be stuck in an elevator with. The type of person that no matter how poor the circumstances, you know that you will have a great time with. Unwavering optimism, no matter the situation.
So, what can you do to become the “elevator man (or woman)”?
It all begins with perspective, and how you view bumps in the road. There is no such thing as a life without challenges. Things aren't always going to go your way. You might run over a nail on the way to an appointment and get a flat tire. You might drop your phone and crack the screen. Things are going to go wrong. That is not a question. Things WILL go wrong. There is nothing that you can do to change that.
But! There is one thing you can change, and that is the way that you react to situations.
As the famous adage goes, “don’t cry over spilled milk” there is no point in getting upset over things that happened. What you should do is adapt to the current reality, and position yourself to have the best angle for optimism.
Let’s say you get stuck in an elevator with 2 random strangers. For the sake of conversation, let’s now assume that the repair technicians are already contacted, but it is going to take 2 hours for them to get you all out.
So, you have a few options.
You can complain or cry
Pros: None
Cons: Not going to be a fun time, no one will want to talk to you
You can go on your phone
Pros: You are slightly less bored
Cons: Not going to be a fun time, no one will want to talk to you
You can talk to the people you are stuck in an elevator with and go in with the best attitude possible
Pros: You get to meet some strangers, might end up making new friends, time will most likely go by faster, and you will have an overall better time
Cons: You might feel slightly awkward at first.
I personally, would want to get stuck with #3.
But being a number 3 is a lot easier said than done. Here are the questions I ask myself when an inconvenience happens to me.
Will I care about this a week from now? I try and ask myself if this is really that big of a deal. Let’s say your car battery went out in your car and it had to get towed. Is it an inconvenience? Yes. Is it going to have a huge impact on my life? No.
What would an optimist do? Comparing your actions to your perception of the actions of an optimist, helps you better understand how you could view it better?
How can I see this in a positive light? Simply asking this question allows you to start coming up with solutions.
Don’t get hung up on all the things that go wrong, be grateful for the things that you have. You have a finite amount of time on this Earth, please do not waste it being upset over trivial matters.