When Having a Bad Day, Consider Adolphe Sax's Story…
Tom Ruwitch
Content Marketing Pioneer ~ Client Attraction Strategist ⚡️ Professional service providers, authors, and other experts hire me to help them create and spread captivating content… so prospects tune in, turn on, and buy.
Not long ago I had one of those days when nothing went right.
It made me grumpy. And as I grumped around, I focused more on feeling sorry for myself and less on staying focused and productive.
That made it worse.
I got past it, but it made me think about how easy it is to lose perspective.
With hindsight, I know the nothing-went-right day wasn’t THAT bad. I just let it get to me.
That day wasn’t as bad as Adolphe Sax’s childhood.
Looking for perspective on a bad day? Meet Adolphe:
He was born in 1814 in Belgium, and then…
One day he fell from a third-storey window and hit his head on a stone. He survived and carried on.
Another day, he accidentally drank a bowl of acidic water. That didn’t stop him.
Nor did the pin he swallowed.
He was seriously burnt…
…twice…
…first, in a gunpowder explosion…
…then, when he tripped and fell onto a scorching cast-iron frying pan.
He survived an accidental poisoning (varnish).
Recommended by LinkedIn
He dusted himself off after he was hit in the head by a rock.
He kept going after he fell into a river and nearly died.
And then, in 1846…
…after lots of trial and error…
…after lots of failing forward…
Adolphe invented and patented the saxophone.
So next time you’re having a bad day and grumping around and feeling sorry for yourself…
…Turn on your favorite John Coltrane or Charlie Parker album…
…or crank up Springsteen’s “Born to Run” and enjoy those blow-the-roof-off Clarence Clemons solos…
…or if easy-listening is your thing, mellow out with Kenny G.
Then remind yourself that all those great sounds exist because Adolphe Sax didn’t let bad days (many of them) hold him back.
If you liked this story…
…and want more like it, you can sign-up to receive MY lightbulb-moment-making 💡, laugh-inducing 🤣, never-boring ⚡️ emails.
Daily(ish) goodness delivered straight to your inbox. (This thing you just read began life as a humble little email before sprouting wings, leaving the nest, and flying here to LinkedIn-land).
Hesitant to get daily(ish) with me? Well…before you flee, see what the enlightened, amused, never-bored masses say . Discover why they wake up with me Monday through Friday mornings. As the old saying goes… “Some balked when I told them I send daily(ish) emails, but then they read a few…”
Service Design and CX enthusiast. making customer experience practical and operational.
6moGreat story - love it!
Head of Learning + Development: The Sales Rebellion | Die Hard fan of the ellipsis ... | Insatiably curious | OBSESSED in witnessing our students achieve their MOST Audacious dreams + goals ~ 🌟
8moBookmarking to read in a bit … more important was to send you a ((( hug ))) 🥰
Content that cuts through the online noise | Customer stories that sell | Inbound and outbound lead specialist
9moIt's so easy to let circumstances affect our attitude, including our self-belief. It happens to everyone, including me. I've been at rock bottom, so I know exactly how you felt, Tom Ruwitch. I will check the Sax story soon.
Creative Writing Teacher, Book Author, Journalist, SEO Copywriter, Website Auditor, Case Studies, Articles, Proofreader, Content Creator enthusiastic to help you make your dreams come true. Gain a competitive Edge.
9moLong ago, I learned that I was causing my depression by my negative thinking. I haven't been depressed since. This story about Mr. Sax is inspiring. I'm going to listen to the music he suggests today. Read it!!!