Has your life been thrashed about by unexpected events or circumstances? Have your children upset the delicate balance of your family life? Are you drowning under the weight of work responsibilities along with family and personal obligations?
Four days ago, one of SeaWorld’s most experienced trainers was dragged underwater and thrashed around by a killer whale until she died. The sheriff stated that the animal’s ‘aggressive nature’ thwarted rescue efforts. Here is an animal that had been involved in two previous deaths yet although the Shamu Stadium was closed after the fatal incident, it reopened three days later and crowds flocked to see the animals perform. The difference? Tilikum, the killer whale involved in the trainer’s death, was missing and trainers were not allowed to enter the water with the animals during the show.
In an interview, Chuck Tompkins, Head of Animal Training for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, remarked that it takes a unique ability and years of training to be able to work with killer whales. He emphasized that there was in place a specific method of training that prepared trainers for most, if not all situations they may have to deal with during the course of their work.
Although expressing sympathy to the grieving family of the unfortunate trainer, he noted that there have been thousands, if not millions of safe interactions with their killer whales. In other words, accidents happen. His resolve? To continue to provide the best and safest environments for their trainers and animals. His aim? To ensure that SeaWorld’s guests watch the important things they do in their lives–taking care of their animals. They did not abandon their show nor their objectives. They made adjustments.
When ‘life’ attacks you how can you, unlike Dawn the killer whale trainer, stay alive? Is your mindset contributing to or hindering your release? Will you allow the ‘agressive nature’ of your situation to drown you, or will you refocus on your goals, clarify your desired outcomes, and take daily action that will keep you moving in the direction of those goals? There’s no need to abondon your dreams. Just make adjustments–get a mentor, a coach, an accountability partner.
Willie Jollie told us that “a setback is a setup for a comeback.” That’s a novel way of thinking for most people. But when you become aware of your thoughts and change the way you perceive the challenging, frustrating, and disappointing obstacles you encounter, your life will take on a different flavor. When you regard these interruptions as springboards to a higher level of experiencing life, nothing will keep you down. Like a jack-in-the-box, you will continue to emerge time and time again to enjoy the abundance that’s all around.
What are your thoughts about this incident? What life lessons have you gained from it? Leave a comment, let me know.