I saw a sign the other day… A chalkboard outside a restaurant, the A-frame kind propped on the sidewalk, with the title Reasons we have received bad reviews.

• Beef bourguignon did not contain cream.
• Customer unable to get a table when we weren’t open.
• French onion soup was too oniony.

And at the bottom: Come on in and find your own unique complaint!

I laughed out loud. Too oniony? That’s like a Brazilian complaining his feijoada had too many beans. You ordered the thing, and the thing showed up!

The Heavy Shades Incident

It reminded me of a situation in my early shady days.

I was once replacing three shades in a lady’s dining room. The old ones seemed to be made of lead, they were so heavy to lift. I brought the new ones, with high-quality aluminum rails. She could lift them with two fingers.

But she wasn’t happy. Her complaint? The shades were too light. She didn’t believe they were made of good-quality materials.

After 20 minutes trying to convince her of all the upgrades and benefits, I gave up. I returned her money, because it was a lost cause, and life went on. With some people, you will never win.

Here’s what I love about that restaurant sign. The owner didn’t cry about it, and didn’t fire back at anyone by name. They took the sting and turned it into a marketing campaign.

Every person walking by reads it, smiles, and thinks: these people are confident in their food. Three bad reviews just became the best ad on the street.

But it works for one reason: those complaints really were ridiculous.

Where Did Common Sense Go?

And that’s exactly what society has become. Somewhere along the way, we lost common sense.

Everyone carries a megaphone in their back pocket, also known as a cell phone. If things aren’t done their way, rest assured it’s going to social media in no time.

People don’t stop to question good or bad, right or wrong, fair or forced anymore.

In Brazil we have a saying: você dá a mão, e querem o braço. You give them a hand, and they want the whole arm. That’s how a lot of friends, family, employees, and customers function these days.

Life would be a lot simpler, calmer, and kinder if everyone understood that there will be times when things won’t go your way. And that is fine too.

Letting Go of the Heavy Shades

I learned that by accident. I planned to move back to Brazil for good when I was turning 30. A house fire three days before my flight changed my mind. I took it as God having different plans for me.

I stayed, and it turned out to be one of the best things in my life.

That lady had superior shades in her hands, but she insisted on the heavy ones back.

Sometimes life hands us an ace, but we keep holding the wrong cards. It’s better to read what the universe is trying to tell us.

What heavy shade are you still holding on to?

Warmly,

P.S. —  That house fire is one of the stories in Nobody Told Me That. So is the truck I almost never got off, and a few more moments when life handed me an ace and I nearly didn’t take it. If you’ve got a heavy shade of your own you’re still holding on to, this book might help you let it go. Grab your copy here!

About Roger Magalhães

Entrepreneur | Speaker | Storyteller | Author
Different brands. Same high standard.

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Official Website: RogerMagalhaes.com
Businesses: Shades In Place | Trading Up Consulting | Blinds Online
Book: Nobody Told Me That
Podcasts: No Strings Attached (US) | Garra Brazuca (BR)
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