Sometimes
when you think you have a thing pretty well under control, or even sounding
like you are a master in that area, life rolls in a ball and then watches how
you play it. That’s what happened to me when I was writing one of my articles
on how to handle challenges. But having been writing and speaking about how to
handle challenges, it wasn’t hard for me to realize that what happened was
life’s test to see what I would in the circumstance.
Realizing
what had happened, I just smiled at the situation. It was going to be tough
though but I took it calmly.
So what
happened?
While I was
writing the article, I sent my son to an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) nearby
to make a withdrawal for me. Soon the alert came on my cellphone, notifying me
that he has made the withdrawal. “Good” I told myself and continued my writing.
However, not quite five minutes after the alert came, I got a beep on my phone.
It was from my son. Slightly upset, I asked myself, “What is he beeping me for
again; after all I have detailed him on what to do with the money before he
left”
Then
the bad news came as I called him back. “The machine said you have insufficient
fund” he relayed. “How” I asked him, feeling disturbed in what I was writing.
“I have tried it more than two times and it is saying the same thing” he
informed. Quickly I turned it over in my mind and realized that the machine had
debited me but did not dispense the cash. He has never had such experience so I
told him what may have happened. And calmly told him to come home.
When he came
home I could see that he was visibly disturbed by what happened. It was his
first encounter with such experience. I had to calm him down, assuring him that
they would credit my account back.
Even as I
was calming him down, my mind was in a swivel on what to do. And what that
means to the family.
The amount I
sought to withdraw was the last balance in the account; and it did not even
amount to much. It was also Thursday evening; and the procedure for failed
transaction is to wait for twenty four hours within which the bank is expected
to automatically credit your account back. What if they failed? Twenty four
hours would be Friday evening within which time the banks would have closed for
the weekend. In that case the earliest time I can go to complain physically at
the bank would be on Monday. Even if I can complain on Friday, it takes
anywhere within fourteen working days for the banks to carry out interbank
reconciliation to be able to credit me back.
It was heart
wrenching. The prospect of a bleak weekend loomed real. I did not even have
neighbours I could borrow from, having packed in newly at my residence. What
was I going do with a family of six?
The
situation was enough to throw anyone into a seemingly justifiable rage. Enough
to curse the system. Enough to shout at whoever is around. Enough to groan.
Even getting angry with members of the family at the slightest irritation.
But would
that have been the best option? Would that have solved anything? The answer is
an absolute “no”; because rather than solve the problem, such an attitude would
complicate it. Yet that’s what many people do, faced with such challenges. The
best thing, at a time like this, is to calm down, sit back, and try to see what
has really happened. And that is exactly what I did.
I have not
had that sort of a challenge with ATM before, though am aware it happens, so
why now? It was then a thought crossed my mind. “Are you not writing about how
to handle challenges? Okay, solve this one” Realizing it was a challenge, a
test, by life’s unseen hands, to prove first that I practice what I advise
people, I simply laughed, and further relaxed. “How life’s challenges come at
the right time” I mused.
Well I found
a way round the circumstances of the weekend. I waited the twenty four hours,
as is required, and on Monday went to the bank, first thing in the morning, to
report the issue. It took twelve days to normalize the transaction.
Honestly, I
have found that if you approach the issues of life with calmness of heart and
detachment, you can create your own heaven. This heaven you can carry about
with you anywhere you are. And heaven, all time happiness, is what everyone is
out seeking albeit indirectly. Unfortunately, it cannot be had on a global
basis. You can only establish it in your own individual life by adopting a
particular lifestyle. In a way then, we bring heaven, or hell, ourselves, to
bear on our lives.
Written by Ali Elias
Clickhealth