Embracing Act II

By Steve Gwisdalla

When I was young, I enjoyed being in school plays. Each traditional play is comprised of three acts. Act I is the introduction. Act II is the conflict and act III is the resolution. It was fun dressing up and pretending to be someone else for a little while and performing for a crowd of eager and nervous parents. Childhood plays are full of successful conclusions and great story telling. The good guys always win and evil is vanquished.

As I got older, I realized that life is not always like a grade school play. Victories aren’t always assured and evil tends to stick around longer. What does a three-act play have to do with our little Tribe of Up you may ask? Everything! As you know, the Tribe of Up is our little corner of the world where we advocate for more joy, help our community, live a life of up as much as we are able. That all sounds suspiciously like act III though, doesn’t it? What happens when we are stuck in a prolonged act II? What happens when our lives are in conflict? How can we as a community who try to be up continue to be when evil is pushing us down? Here is a suggestion that helps me when act II is getting a tad too long.

I look for the lessons.  Let me say that again. I look for the lessons.

Every bad thing that has happened in my life has taught me something. Sometimes they were obvious. For example, in college, I learned that Mountain Dew and Sothern Comfort sound like a great combination. They are not. Other times, I have learned that struggling with not enough money has brought out solid budgeting and planning skills I never knew I had. When the money situation improved, I kept those lessons I learned, and it helped prevent many of the issues from resurfacing.

In a word-limited article it is hard to provide a comprehensive explanation of embracing the act II’s we will face in our lives. I promise an act III always follows. Learn to study how you acted during act II moments. Apply those lessons and see what you have learned. Write it down so you don’t forget. Think back and journal past conflicts. Then remember how you felt and what you did initially, and then after one, three, and six months. That journal would be a solid roadmap for life. Don’t fear the Act II conflicts, my friends. We cannot avoid them. But by learning from past mistakes, and successes, we can shorten those parts of our plays. Think back to the darkest moments in your life. Who were the people in your play who helped you? Be thankful for them. Let them know. Think back to how you overcame those dark days. Offer help to those you know are in them now. Embrace Act II dear Tribe of Up friends. You can do it. Ready? Action!

Steve is a Dexter resident and the Owner, Chief Director and Lighting Grip at Better Place Consulting. We are a coaching organization specializing in all things people. Reach out at [email protected].