Remember what to do when you spill your milk!

I would imagine that at one time or another almost every one of us has spilled our milk!  When I was in grade school we had to pour our milk into a cone-shaped cup every day at lunch time.  Because I liked milk so much, I would usually fill mine as full as possible and then I would have to walk very carefully and slowly to the table so that it would not slosh out.  (Did I just see a smile on some of your faces?  Those of us who are a little older remember those days!)  Today milk comes in handy individual cartons so that students don't have to worry as much about spilling it.

While spilled milk is probably a common experience for all of us and is the subject of this Tip, it is not actual spilled milk that I want to talk about.  When something in your life goes wrong or catches you off guard, someone may quote the old adage, "You can't cry over spilled milk!"  Usually they are referring to the fact that even though a tough break happens to fall your way, you cannot let it bother you or let it get you down.  You just have to move on, do the next right thing, and cut your losses.

Years ago when I was a very young school principal with still somewhat of a "know-it-all" attitude, I made a poor decision about a particular situation.  During a school board meeting we were discussing the situation that had happened regarding a particular student and his family.  I made the comment to the school board, "Well, you can't cry over spilled milk."  My friend, James Fleming, spoke up and said, "That's true.  You can't cry over spilled milk - but you can clean it up before it spoils!"  That was a powerful statement to me. I had never heard it before. 

James went on to explain that although the situation was unfortunate, I could give the student's family a phone call to provide further perspective on what had happened.  There were some details that had not previously come to light and James felt that the situation could be clarified. 

Because he was older and I respected him, I followed his advice.  I gave the family a call and apologized for not having handled the situation better.  I was amazed at their response.  They took responsibility for their son's lack of cooperation with us and for his behavior.  By the end of the phone call, everything was smoothed over and there were no bad feelings.  The next time I saw James, I thanked him for sharing his wisdom. 

That particular situation happened over thirty years ago!  I cannot tell you how many times since then someone has said to me, "Well, you can't cry over spilled milk."  When they do, I always look at them and gently say, "That's true.  You can't cry over spilled milk - but you can clean it up before it spoils."

I have not only learned to encourage other people to clean up their "messes" when possible, but I also try to keep my own messes cleaned up as well.  When I realize that I have made a mistake or done something wrong, I simply own up to it and then straighten it out to the best of my ability.  In other words, I try to clean it up before it spoils.

None of us wants to leave a trail of destruction in our wake.  And, few of us want to be the kind of person who hurts others.  Reconsider some of the situations that have happened in your life and if you have the opportunity, clean up what has been "spilled."  You will be the better person for it and others will not have to smell the awful odor of a spoiled situation because you took the time to clean it up.

This information is provided in congruence with Personality Insights USA.