This week’s Kaizen Tip comes to you from Kimberley Hare of Kaizen Training.

I think Shakespeare wrote this.

What a week it has been!

Yesterday was the 12^th of the 12^th of the 12^th – an auspicious date surely.  This week I’ve facilitated two highly successful workshops, had a fantastic, life-changing meeting with a coach, shared moments of pure joy and love with my gorgeous husband, and nearly died in a motorway accident. (I’m fine – but my poor car is not, and has this morning been towed away looking very crumpled indeed).

I’ve been reminded several times this week of the old story often told in NLP circles:

A father and his son owned a farm.  They did not have many animals but they did own one horse.  One day the horse ran away.

‘How terrible! What bad luck!’ sympathised his neighbours.

‘Good Luck, Bad Luck, who knows?’ replied the farmer. 

Several days later the horse returned, bringing with him four wild mares.

‘What marvellous luck!’ said the neighbours.

‘Good Luck, Bad Luck, who knows?’ replied the farmer.

The son began to tame the wild horses, so that they could be used on the farm, but one day he was thrown and broke his leg.

 ‘How terrible! What bad luck!’ sympathised his neighbours.

 ‘Good Luck, Bad Luck, who knows?’ replied the farmer.

The next week the army came to the village to take all the young men to war.  The farmer’s son was spared as he was still disabled with his broken leg.

Good luck?  Bad Luck?  Who knows?

Tuesday evening I was driving back from one of my workshops in the freezing fog, and a lorry the size of Wales changed lanes without warning and sheared off the entire passenger side of my car.  The lorry driver (turned out he was from Lithuania) didn’t have the right mirrors, couldn’t see me, and just kept on coming, pushing my car into the fast lane.  Scarey stuff indeed, and it turns out it’s true that time slows right down in these sorts of situations.  Of course, my body was flooded with adrenaline, and I could feel the metallic taste in my mouth.  Here’s just a glimpse of what was going through my mind in those few split seconds…

• Oh ****, this is a brand new car – I’ve just had it for three months!
• He doesn’t even realize he’s hit me… how can I get out of the way without colliding with other cars, and creating even more mayhem?
• My husband, Ross, has got my dinner waiting for me… this is going to result in a long delay – I hope he won’t be worried
• I hope the driver of the lorry will stop – if he doesn’t, have I got time to grab my phone and take a photo of his registration plate?
• If I die now, at least it was a very good day (month, year) to go out on!
• How am I going to get to my gigs and business meetings the rest of the week without a car?
• I’m so grateful I understand a little bit about the nature of thought, and therefore don’t need to panic right now!

The driver did stop, I called the police, and all was sorted out.  I actually really felt for the driver, who spoke no English, and was clearly overwhelmed, distraught and confused. 

What’s been really interesting has been the responses of other people:  the Highway Police, friends, clients, even the insurance company who have all said things like:  “You must feel sick as a parrot…”, “God, what bad luck!”, and even “Be careful, you might have post-traumatic stress disorder!” 

They are well-meaning, but there’s a real cultural norm of “something bad has happened – therefore you MUST FEEL BAD”.  I really don’t. I would rather the accident hadn’t happened, of course. 

But I know I can choose to continue to be grateful for my wonderful life – in every moment.

This morning, the insurance company organized a replacement courtesy car – and it’s much bigger than my own little car. 

Which means that this weekend, I can go and buy the real Christmas tree I want – because it will now fit in the boot!

Enjoy a joyous, safe, glorious festive season everyone!