Ben Madilynn
Have you ever got irritated being stuck in traffic because you will be late for work or an appointment? Or ever get mad at your child for forgetting something at home and needing to go back to get it? Oftentimes, we feel infuriated by these little setbacks but if we come to believe that these have a purpose, then maybe we can change our perspective whenever we encounter such minute delays in our lives.
This phenomenon is referred to as the “Burnt Toast Theory” which I only got to know through a Facebook reel. The Burnt Toast Theory explains that “If you burn your toast in the morning, the time you spend making another toast may have saved you from a car accident; or make you late to a meeting but you meet someone on the way that will become special in your life.”
Hence, the most significant lesson we can get from this theory is that not all delays are bad, but they are good diversions.
We often think that delays are annoying interruptions in our busy lives, but as I have written earlier, they might have an actual purpose which most probably is for our good. The most relevant experience that I can share probably is the season of waiting I went through before I got promoted. When I joined DepEd almost ten years ago, I badly wanted to be promoted right away. However, things did not turn out according to my desires and I had to wait for six years before I finally got the position I was hoping for.
As I look back at those years of waiting, I learned a lot and acquired wisdom from my superior and other mentors in the office. I got to know more about the agency and I value the season of waiting that I felt prepared and more accountable to leading even just a small unit in our organization. Had I been given the position when I badly wanted it, I feel that I could have made some immature choices and decisions that might affect the unit and the organization as a whole. In addition, I certainly believe that it was God’s way of protecting me from what could go wrong, thus He needed me to be more adept and ready for the challenges that come with the position.
So the next time we feel bad about a slight delay, let’s always remember that delays give us opportunities to pause and breathe in our fast-paced world. They allow us to reflect and discover new things we wouldn’t normally notice when we’re rushing around like headless chickens! Try embracing it instead of fighting against it. Who knows? It might just lead you down an unexpected path filled with joy and surprises!
