Page 38 - 2025 GBC spring English

to exaggerate problems beyond
reasonable limits to the point of
comic absurdity (ie. really stupid
humour). I’m no stranger to getting
unduly stressed by approaching
deadlines (and no stranger to
exaggeration as you all know).
Exaggerating the deadline, I might
imagine how my missing it will
send everything south; milk will
sour; participles will dangle; and
planets will fall out of the sky. Since
none of that is going to happen due
to the deadline, I can start to see
the deadline for what it is – just a
date. Once I understand that, I can
concentrate on the actual problem.
I can start breaking it down into
smaller, more doable pieces, and
then more easily attainable dates.
Humour on the roller coaster
of life won’t eliminate the highs
and lows, but it makes the wildest
rides more manageable and fun.
Humour helps keep things in
perspective, and in turn lower your
stress.
FIND OUT MORE
The usual initial reaction to a
new problem is fear. But then
maybe some curiosity sets in.
That’s basically one of our best
evolutionary tools as a primate
(along with hammers, and maybe
later the wheel, oh, and electric
lawn mowers). Any quest for
knowledge is the start of keeping
that issue in perspective. Our usual
second reaction is “why?”. Why
did this happen? That’s followed
closely by “how?”. Answer these
and you will begin to ask more
questions, and find some answers.
Some of you remember me
from way back (Editor’s note:
Paul was the closing keynote
speaker at the 2008 Golf Business
Canada Conference & Trade Show
in Niagara Falls). If you do, you
might remember that I used to give
out rubber ducks. It was a lot of
fun, but sometimes caused a lot of
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Golf Business Canada
logistics problems. I had to always have a good supply on hand and in
those fledgling online ordering days it was common to have severe rubber
duck shortages. I used to get really stressed out about the lack of these cute
squeaky give-a-ways. Imagine the shock of opening a carton of rubber
ducks and finding squeaky blue whales. “This can’t be happening, my life
is over” is my go to reaction. But then I decided to find out more. Where
else can I order these? Where do they come from? Why are these stopping
at some warehouse? What else can I use that’s just as cute?
It was putting rubber ducks in perspective that made me finally
grow up and leave them behind. Knowing more, or even just knowing
better questions, gives us the ability to put our ducks in perspective. With
knowledge we can give the problem the appropriate amount of angst,
dread, or dismissal, and maybe an ‘in your face’ squeak and a chuckle.
WAIT FOR IT... WAIT... FOR ... IT
Another perspective builder is plain - old - time. The comedian Carol
Burnett says, “humour equals tragedy plus time”. Time not only heals all
wounds, but it can also make them funny. In time, you will see this current
issue in a different light. It will fall more neatly into your month, or maybe
your lifetime. In the grand scheme of things, time will force this problem
into perspective.
Think of your most embarrassing moments. Are they funny now?
For me a great example of time making things funny happened in 1993.
This young, up-and-coming actor – named Paul - had an opening part
in a North Toronto theatre production. I walked out on stage, and I did
something funny. The audience laughed. So, I did something else funny,
and the audience laughed again. How amazing and how much fun it is to
be an actor I thought each time they laughed.
Then, I accidentally stepped off the stage and fell into the orchestra
pit. Yeah, no kidding.
The crowd went wild with laughter. I laughed it off talking to the
cast after, but I was seriously horrified. To make it even more horrific, just
before I stepped off the stage I thought to myself “You – Are – Brilliant”.
How unspeakably embarrassing. So unspeakable, it was 3 years before I
told my closest friends what was on my mind just before that fateful step.
It took 3 years for time to put this gaff in perspective. Now it’s my funniest
career mistake.
IT’S ALL IN THE MINDSET
When you are faced with problems or confronted by serious issues,
remember to:
•  Take a step back, give your problem a look from a different point of view.
•  Find the absurd funny in the issue. Look at daunting tasks or difficult
issues through clown-coloured glasses. Give that problem the humour it
deserves and then just the right amount of attention.
•  Learn more about the problem, or underlying problem.
•  And if it’s still nagging at you, remember that time will help you to put
it in perspective.
Faced with an overwhelmingly large problem or situation, it’s easy to
stare back at it like a deer in the headlights. But if we look, laugh, learn, or
wait, we can see it in context.
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B Bu usi sin ness ess
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