"Don't say no, go with the flow!"
Deepak Chopra   

Life drags us kicking and screaming into situations ultimately designed for our greater good.

Witness a young Greek chap - Perseus, embarrassed because he judges his present to be so very inferior compared to everybody else's presents at the kings birthday party, he makes a rash promise to bring back the gorgons head.

The gorgon was a mythical monster. A witch who lived on the other side of the world who sported a radical hairdo of writhing snakes. Anyone who looked at the gorgon was instantly turned to stone - talk about the cold shoulder.

So out rushes Perseus and finds himself sobbing on a rock, regretting his rash outburst. But eventually, with the help of the Goddess Pallas Athena and some pretty cool 'James Bond type' gadgets like winged sandals, a helmet which makes him invisible and a really shiny shield, he ultimately defeats the gorgon hacks off her head and, with it tucked safely in a bag,  begins his journey back home feeling pretty cocky again.

We find our hero winging his way steadily homewards, enjoying the bright sunshine and the panoramic views when up out of the desert comes the mother of all sandstorms. One mile high and twenty miles wide - it sweeps towards him devastating everything in its path and spoiling not a few nomadic pick-nicks by swirling grit into their sandwiches.

Perseus, being the brave, resourceful, self reliant hero type refuses to let anything bar his way. Has he not just slain the gorgon? Bravely he battles on. Grit in his teeth; sand in his hair; dust in his eyes and turbulent, stinging wind spoiling the 'wing-alignment' of his spiffy new sandals.

Eventually, exhausted he takes a breather. Flitting down he rests on a rock - instantly the storm dies down. Full of hope he rises again to resume his journey - up comes the wind again. Down he flits for a breather and again the storm abates.

Wait a minute - thinks our hero to himself. There is more here than meets the eye. Perched Rodin-like on a rock he pauses to think things through. The Gods have helped me out so far and trusting them has paid off. What if the Gods don't want me to go home yet? What if the Gods have another purpose for me? A better purpose? Perhaps they want me to go in the direction that the wind is blowing!

And so, filled with anticipation, he rises again and wings his way in the direction that the wind was blowing. The storm is now gone - and remains gone! So far so good.

After a while he comes across a beautiful girl chained to a rock and left as an offering to the kraken - another mythical beastie with a penchant for gobbling young virgins. Her people are all praying on the beach as the kraken rises from the sea and lurches over to the girl. Quick as a flash, Perseus stops to chat up the girl while calmly taking out the gorgon's head for the benefit of the kraken. One look is all it takes and the kraken splashes down into the ocean creating a stony new island across the bay.

Perseus is the man of the hour. The girl - the princess Andromeda, is smitten with love for Perseus. Her father the king, is delighted with the new extension to his kingdom and generously gives away half his kingdom to his new son in law.

Literally, with one look Perseus has married rich and become a king in a far off land.

Nowadays with DVD's we often get the opportunity to see an alternate ending...

Brave, resolute, self-reliant Perseus decides that he is going home no matter what. He refuses to give in to a little thing like a mile high sand storm. Has he not just slain the gorgon? Bravely he battles on. Grit in his teeth; sand in his hair; dust in his eyes and turbulent, stinging wind spoiling the 'wing-alignment' of his spiffy new sandals.
On he pushes, bravely he battles, mightily he struggles.

Six weeks later, grimy, gritty, exhausted and with a considerably thinner skin he staggers into the palace of his homeland clutching a threadbare bag holding a windblown snaky head, only to find that the party is over, the guests have all left and the king - languishing in his new Jacuzzi with his new wives, only sends back a rude note to say that gorgons heads are 'so last year'.

Bitter and deeply disappointed, Perseus lives out the remainder of his life begging drinks in the local tavern and telling bored strangers about his all too brief bout with stardom - a legend in his own lunchtime.

So my question is "Do you want to be right - or do you want to win?"
So often we are so convinced that we are right that we refuse to consider any other alternative.

Perseus was initially embarrassed because his gift - his lifestyle; money; status whatever you like, did not shape up to his peers. So off he goes to improve his lot in life. He takes a risk but he is so attached to coming home with bragging rights that he loses his perspective about what he really wanted and in the alternative ending gets exactly what he thought he wanted, to his bitter disappointment.

By pausing to take stock and look at the picture from a broader, higher perspective he is open to alternatives and so gets everything he really wanted but not in the way that he thought it should happen.

The Universe has our greater good at heart. First she whispers, then she hints, then she talks, then she shouts and finally to get our attention - she claps! Adversity is often the solution not the problem.