A Lesson from Sandra Bullock

So awards season 2010 is over and Sandra Bullocks ,with her wins at the Golden Globes,SAG,Peoples Choice,Oscars and even the Razzies, was the golden girl of the season.I have loved Bullocks since Miss Congeniality, then I loved her more at Two Weeks Notice,Divine secrets of the YaYa sisterhood,Premonition,Lake House,The Proposal and of course her performance of the moment in The Blind Side.

But what most people don't realise is that her roles in both Blind Side and The Proposal were initially offered to Julia Roberts, and were only offered to her after Roberts declined it. Even with this knowledge,Bullocks accepted knowing she was second choice,to quote the lady of the moment, upon her notification of an Oscar nomination "I'd take sloppy seconds anytime"

Often times in life,we get chosen second,or we get our second options in situations as opposed to our first,this could range from things as trivial as that Karen Millen coat you had been eyeing on the sale rack but had to settle for the next nicest as the original was too small,to major issues as important as college acceptance/rejections,or the second job option you had to settle for when you got rejected from your dream firm, that you had structured all your major college extra curricular to suit its ideal graduate profile. Or even the second best man because your first choice was already taken.

Our reactions to this default choice varies per individual, some choose to see it as a major failure and continue to wallow in self pity. In this camp is where you find the grown boy who refuses to further his education at an on par domestic university because he got refused a student visa,and wakes up to find himself 25 going on 30 and still applying for that visa. The young professional who makes mediocre work efforts because he only works at Adebayo n co solicitors as opposed to Temples,to the girlfriend/wife who keeps criticising her man's every move because he wasn't her first choice.

While not as frequent,you also find the elite few who decide to pick this new situation and make it the best it can be, like Bullocks transformation in Miss Congeniality.

It can be a daunting task, enduring all the flossing,twizzing,brushing and polishing required to bring out the diamond in these situations. But the reward of the precious stone is only available to the patient miner. So even though its easier said than practiced, in whatever default situation you find yourself in today,with a lot of love,patience and a generous dose of perseverance give it your best and watch it blossom from an ugly stone to a diamond in the sand,bearing in mind, that these situations might end up being the best decision you ever make. Just like it was for Sandra Bullock.

Miss L.C