Unfortunate timing? Try this.

Ever been on a vacation only to get sick? Or maybe you've been waiting to start your new job but your car breaks down? Or maybe you've got family visiting from out of the country and right then you're in-laws need you for an emergency?

We've all experienced some form of unfortunate timing. I'm living one right now. I'm on day 6 of a week-long stay at the beach. I had fantasized that this would be a retreat where I'd get to catch up no a few work projects, relax by the ocean, listen to the sounds of the waves, and just get to chill after what has already been an eventful year.

The good part is, I've gotten to do a few of those things. The sucky part is that I'm on day 4 of a nasty cold. Yup, I'm sick while on vacation. I know this isn't the only time I've been sick while at our annual timeshare week at Cocoa Beach, because I have memories of being so thankful there's a great bath tub here.

Which gets me to my point. In the moments where I'm feeling a bit downtrodden and sad that it's turned out this way, I try to reflect on what is going right. Like the bathtub for example. At least if I'm going to be sick while out of town, let it be in a place where there's a large and clean bathtub for me to use all day long.

I've been taking time throughout each day to find elements of this experience that I am so grateful for. I'm here with someone who loves me and is taking great care of me while I'm sick, all the while making it fun and playful. I still get to sit on the porch and listen to the ocean. I'm not having to cancel clients while being sick so in some ways, timing was great! I'm getting to re-remember that I'm in a body and that it gets sick and there's value in that humility.

It might not make me well immediately, but it does get me out of a funk.

So the next time that you find yourself in a situation with unfortunate timing, see of there are things that you can be grateful for in that experience. It may make the timing seem less unfortunate, maybe even more fortunate. You'll at least stop yourself from making it worse by feeling like a victim of circumstance.