I have a T-shirt with a saying that nicely sums up one of the most important choices people make in coping with adversity: "Attitude is the difference between ordeal and adventure." When the going gets tough in our personal or professional lives, it's important to take a deep breath and consider that.
I recall a particularly challenging night on a small sailboat. Our planned 3-hour tour on a beautiful summer evening nearly turned into an episode of Gilligan's Island when the weather started getting rough halfway into our journey. Somehow the rudder bent, severely limiting our abilities to maneuver the boat. A hard, cold rain pelted us and when night fell, so did the temperature. Our tiny ship was tossed in a shipping channel with large, intimidating boats as we struggled to steer out of the channel and closer to shore for safety. Then we had to avoid hitting moored sailboats and running aground when the depth became highly variable.
My most vivid memory about those ten adventure-filled hours was that all four of us on the boat maintained a positive attitude. That allowed each of us to focus on the critical tasks at hand without having to expend unnecessary energy in dealing with interpersonal conflict. We worked together as a team and supported each other's efforts. And in strange sort of way, we made the whole thing fun. I'll admit that we didn't quite realize it was fun until we'd consumed a lot of hot coffee while wrapped in warm blankets sitting inside an all-night donut shop at 3 a.m. Sometimes perspective takes time to fully develop.
If not for the courage and great attitudes of our fearless crew (and our captain), our friendships, and perhaps a whole lot more, could have been lost that night. We can look back now with a lasting sense of accomplishment and camaraderie, as well as a good story to share with a happy ending.
We can't always control what happens in our lives, but we do have the capacity to decide how we'll respond. Whether it's a demanding patient, a staffing shortage, a major change in working conditions, or some unexpected event, the attitude we display has the power to influence the outcome. Ever strive to make the positive choice.
Until next time-
Linda Laskowski-Jones, MS, RN, ACNS-BC, CEN, FAWM
Editor-in-Chief, Nursing2013 Vice President: Emergency & Trauma Services Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington, Del.