There are times when life throws us an unexpected curve, and our experience with such a surprise can be directly affected by how we respond to it. Our sense of humor can be a blessing in helping us to deal with the unexpected. I want to share an amusing story .

A lady called Julia was the VP of a major company and was very particular about her professional appearance. She had two small children, which means that mornings were hectic. She had to get herself ready for work as well as make sure her two girls are up, dressed, fed and dropped off at preschool.

One particular morning, things were unusually chaotic, and Julia had to rush to get to work for an important meeting. She got dressed in the dark, taking care not to wake her husband who had come home very late from a business trip the night before. That day she had to be meeting on time for her presentation. She started her presentation meticulously but at one point during her presentation, she realized that she was wearing 2 different colored shoes, a red one and a navy blue one!

Julia’s first reaction was complete embarrassment. because she happened to be at a meeting of executive VIPs when she discovered she wasn't dressed properly. She was mortified, but she continued on with her presentation as best she could and added that no one seemed to notice the different colored shoes.

Afterwards a discussion came out of Julia's presentation and people expressed different opinions, creating a tense atmosphere in the meeting room. Seeing an opportunity to turn her footwear faux pas into an advantage, she stood up and showed off her mismatched shoes. She even turned from side to side to prove how each shoe looked good with her outfit despite its different colors. Julia compared her different colored shoes to their differences in opinion, pointing out that the expected outcome for all sides concerned was similar regardless of which plan they chose to follow. Then she confessed that had dressed in the dark to allow her husband more time to sleep. Everyone had a good laugh, which helped to alleviate the tension in the room so that the discussion could continue in a calmer state. In the end, they were able to reach a compromise and Julia sealed the deal, all thanks to her mismatched shoes and sense of humor!

I like this story, because it reveals that when we are able to accept our humanity, gracefully, and with a sense of humor, we give others permission to do the same. When Julia approached her situation with a sense of humor, she connected on a human level with her everyone at the meeting, which helped to put them at ease.

Always remember to keep your sense of humor handy, as you never know when you'll need it.