A Healthy Kick in the Teeth

"You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."

- Walt Disney

When struck with adversity, very few people respond with that immortal Animal House line, "Thank you sir, may I have another?" Usually the shock, pain and indignation overwhelm us, and our first response is outrage. How dare that person, or that company, or the economy, or the universe, attack little, old, innocent me! The problem is, there are very, very few times when we are indeed completely innocent.

A kick in the teeth is a wake-up call. A bit more jarring than a clock radio, for sure, but sometimes a low volume dose of NPR just doesn't cut it. Once the initial surprise and suffering subside, the true awakening can occur. You usually don't even have to think about it that much -- the error of your ways just pops to the surface of consciousness. It's as if the kick in the teeth has not-so-gently dislodged your insight from the muddy depths of your subconscious where it was so recently submerged.

I'm not saying you should go out there and stand real close up behind every jack ass you see, poke his hiney with a stick, and invite a good, solid mule kick. Life gives us plenty of kicks without us having to go out there and court them. What I am saying is that when a kick does happen, move beyond your initial reaction and see what you can learn from it.

Ann Landers, the Queen of Trite Advice, was known for saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Hell, any fool can make lemonade. When life gives you lemons, make Limoncello! Don't just survive adversity, thrive upon it! If you can learn to do that, what is there left to fear?