Force majeure

I was following the news about the huge amount of snow in Austria and was happy that I was not there. I can still remember myself thinking 'Luckily we don't have that kind of horrible weather in our tiny, rainy country...’. But a few days later: 5 cm of snow and the whole country is stuck in traffic.

Tuesday 22 January is a day I won't forget easily. 2,300 km of traffic jams. I was just happy that it was not the date of the Winter Barbecue... that would have put a damper on our party. Fortunately, the roads were clean again on Wednesday and the turnout was amazing. Nobody was deterred by a bit of snow and the warnings about slippery roads.

But it does make you think, you cannot control everything. And no matter how well prepared you are and covered from all angles, things can still go wrong. When you have to cease all your work activities after an accident during a company outing in autumn, or you have the bad luck of having to cope with the aftermath of a broken leg for four months, you suddenly find yourself late at the game. Then you start the new year with an empty diary which is normally filled with leads.

You can wind yourself up about it, but that doesn't change anything. It just creates negative energy. It would have hurt if I would have had to cancel the Winter barbecue, that's for sure. It may have been less frustrating than missing out on everything for four months and not being able to plan anything. But still frustrating. In short, when facing setbacks, try to pick up the pieces as quickly as possible. Look to the future.

You cannot plan everything, let it go. Sometimes it just a case of force majeure.

Saskia Stender
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