Five Keys to Avoiding Self-Inflicted Wounds

Many setbacks in life come to us through no fault of our own. We are just innocent bystanders who get blindsided by various calamities. However, we bring some of them on ourselves through our own actions or inactions. Here are five keys to avoiding these self-inflicted wounds:

(1) Don't overreact to small problems. We often become so upset or angry with the little things that go wrong that we create more serious problems in the process. For example, think of all the people who have been killed or seriously injured as result of something that began as a minor disagreement. Obviously, that's an exaggerated example, but most of us have done and said potentially harmful things that were out of character for us, after losing our temper and flying into a rage over a trivial matter.

We are plagued by little problems on almost a daily basis, as most things don't work out exactly as planned. That's a part of life we need to accept. We are imperfect people living in an imperfect world. Let's not sweat the small stuff or, worse yet, blow it out of proportion -- to the detriment of ourselves and others.

(2) Concentrate on what you are doing. We can get ourselves in trouble by not giving our full attention to the task at hand. That trouble can range from minor, like damaging our lawn mower blade by running over an object we should have seen, to major, like getting into a serious automobile accident because of being distracted by a cell phone. Any significant task we do deserves 100% of our attention while we're doing it. Avoid the potentially costly consequences that distractions, daydreaming, lackadaisical attitudes, and half-hearted efforts can bring.

(3) Don't neglect situations that need your attention. That persistent cough, that pain that just won't go away, your child's worsening behavioral problems, that strange noise coming from under the hood of your car, that funny odor in your basement -- these are all warning signs of potential problems that need to be checked out and, if need be, nipped in the bud before they escalate and become much more difficult and/or expensive to resolve. Like the old saying goes, "don't wait until your horse is gone before closing the barn door." Don't let procrastination make you pay dearly. Be thankful you had some kind of warning and take action!

(4) Don't ignore sound advice. Their insurance agent practically got down on his knees and begged them to buy flood insurance. They wouldn't listen and now they deeply regret it. Don't let something similar happen to you. None of us knows it all, so we can all use some guidance and direction every once in a while, even if we don't ask for it. It's for your own good. Don't let your pride or a know-it-all attitude be your downfall.

(5) Know when to get over it. Like the Good Book says, "there's a time for everything," and that includes letting go of old hurts and offenses and allowing bygones to be bygones. If nothing else, do it for your own health. Harboring those feelings can result in long-term bitterness and hate that can be the root cause of serious medical problems. Even if they never affect your health, they will always be an obstacle to your ability to live life to its fullest. Also, if left unchecked, they can even motivate a person to do something that they would never have imagined themselves ever doing -- something that would lead to lasting disastrous consequences.