I was working on my computer the other day and reading an email that talked about a change in work procedure. I didn’t think there needed to be one in this particular case and of course, I knew I would follow it, but none the less I uttered out loud, “if it ain’t broke,” but I didn’t finish my sentence.
However, there were three students in my office working on homework at the time, and they DID finish the sentence as they saw fit.
The first said, “if it ain’t broke, don’t break it.”
The second student said, “No, that’s not how it goes. It’s ‘if it ain’t broke, then you can buy it or use it.’
And the third said, “No guys, I think it’s ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t worry about it.’”
The real quote, as you know goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” However, I kind of like the changes the girls made. It made me think about something Jordan Sarah Weatherhead, the author of “Naked Truth” said.
She said, “I love broken things. I see beauty in the bent, the rotting, the decayed, and the shattered. I find splendor in things most would find terrifying. I think that things that are damaged are just exquisite. Because I know they are just like me. They are not ruined forever; things that are broken have a funny way of being fixed and turning out better than before.”
Weatherhead’s words have inspired me through many situations. For starters, my body is aging, but I still think I can do everything I did more than 20 years ago. In actuality, I’m a bit slower and get much sorer after the same activities and workouts I used to do more easily. But, that’s OK. Nothing to fix, I just need to be more realistic.
I’ve also had several different bosses and colleagues in my career and unfortunately, there have been a few that were hard to work with and for. However, they all taught me something very valuable.
There are times I started doubting myself when they were working with me, and I would remind myself that I was doing a good job, I was giving it my all, and my intentions were good.
I learned to value myself even if they did not and I learned how not to treat people, which I believe has made me a better boss and colleague. (At least I hope it has.)
When working with human beings it’s not always easy to fix things that might be broken. If it’s a relationship, it may be very difficult. I saw this somewhere, not sure where, but it explains things very well. It’s a dialogue between two people and it’s one I have actually shared with my own kids.
Person 1: “Grab a plate and throw it on the floor.”
Person 2: “Ok, done, it broke.”
Person 1: “Now say sorry to it.”
Person 2: “Sorry.”
Person 1: “Did it go back to the way it was before?”
Person 2: “No.”
Person 1: “Do you understand?”
As illustrated above, sometimes saying sorry doesn’t fix everything. But, if you really and truly didn’t mean to hurt someone or do wrong by them, hopefully “I’m sorry” is a good start.
Another thing that gets tough, and I have to remind myself of this as well, is you can’t always “fix” everything for everyone, especially your own children.
Sometimes they mess up and they have something they need to fix. It’s not OK for us as the parent to fix it for them, even if we know how.
They must stand up on their own and make things right or at least better if possible, or they must accept their consequences and learn from the situation. Of course, if they are younger, they definitely need guidance on how to approach situations, but ultimately it’s still theirs to handle.
And finally, like my first student said, “if it ain’t broke, don’t break it.’ As a former junior high school administrator, who dealt with junior high drama very often, I say this: We need to make sure we don’t think too much.
Overthinking could actually create a problem that may not have even been there in the first place. Have a great day!
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