My car mechanic never returns my car on time and it's okay with me-1989

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Mystery question: as you read this story, 

guess the life principles that are expressed. My answers are at the end.

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My 1972 Oldsmobile

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My trusty 17-year-old car was no stranger to breakdowns. Luckily, I had a secret weapon - a freelance car mechanic named Joe. He was like a superhero in overalls, swooping in to save the day with his wrench and screwdriver. His prices were fair and his work was top-notch. If my car could talk, it would probably thank me for having a friend like Joe.

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Joe was a pleaser and over promiser

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Let's just say, Joe had a talent for overpromising and underdelivering when it came to fixing my car. It was like a game of "when will my car be ready?" where Joe always seemed to win by pushing back the deadline. But, in all fairness, he did a good job on my car and charged me a fair price, so I kept going back to him despite his unreliable timelines.

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What could I do?!

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When it came to my car troubles, I had a decision to make. Should I try to change Joe's chronic over-promising habits? Or should I roll the dice and find a new mechanic who wouldn't leave me hanging? On one hand, Joe had some starling qualities - he did excellent work and didn't charge me an arm and a leg. But on the other hand, his promises of when he would return it were about as reliable as a weather forecast in spring. After careful consideration, I decided to take try out a game with Joe (that I never told him about).

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Balancing costs and benefits, Joe was worth it

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As a little trick to cope with Joe's over-promising tendencies, I would mentally add an extra week to his initial promise of when he would return my car. Then, every time he gave me a new promise, I would call him on the exact day and say, "Joe, where's my car?!" When he inevitably re-promised, I would act a little disappointed but understanding, secretly knowing that I had already adjusted my expectations to avoid disappointment. Of course, I couldn't let him know that or he might take advantage and turn a one-week delay into a two-week delay!

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Feeling good and keeping a good relationship with Joe

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Whenever I handed my car over to Joe for repairs, I never believed his initial promises of when he'd return it. Instead, I just trusted that he'd do his best and probably deliver it about a week later than originally promised. I mean, let's face it, Joe was Joe, and we all knew he was a bit of a people pleaser. So, I chose to focus on the end result and the big picture rather than his unreliable promises. And you know what? It worked out just fine. Joe always did a great job, and I never held a grudge against him. After all, it's not like I could do any better under the hood!

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Underlying principles that guided my actions

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Undoing shoulds

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If I started playing the blame game with Joe or tried to reform him, it would have just added more expenses for both of us.

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Undoing expectations

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Expecting something to be different than it is or likely to be is a formula for suffering, as well as being less effective. When you fight with reality, you lose.

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