The Snafu Factor

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The term “Snafu” refers to a mess up - when something normal suddenly goes awry. Examples would be getting your clothes splashed by mud moments before going into an important job interview, saying the wrong thing and causing an unexpected upset, or experiencing difficulty in situations that are usually effortless.
 
Snafus can happen on the small and large scale. One large example is the Hubble Space Telescope, named after astronomer Edwin Hubble, who discovered that the universe was expanding. It now orbits the Earth and has become one of the most important instruments in the history of astronomy. It has greater resolution and range, and can observe other spectrums of radiation, that ground-based telescopes cannot match. However, the Hubble project was not without problems.
 
From its conception in 1946 until its launch in 1990, Hubble was plagued by delays and budget problems. Originally it was to cost about $400 million - it ended up costing around $6 billion! It also became somewhat of an embarrassment to NASA when soon after its launch it was found that the main mirror had an aberration due to faulty quality control. Basically, it could not do what it was sent to do. Three years later a space shuttle servicing mission corrected the problem. It all got fixed and worked out satisfactorily, but it was not smooth sailing.
 
Much of the training and information shared in Self-Help and New Age teachings center around positivity. There is a strong emphasis on affirming the positive, focusing on what is ideal, and not giving much time or energy to any negativity whatsoever. The problem that tends to crop up - and is often attempted to be hidden – is the Snafu Factor
 
A snafu often feels like the Universe has pushed you onto a banana peel, put inappropriate words into your mouth, or simply located you in the wrong place at the worst time. It is somewhat like experiencing Murphy’s Law – things that can go wrong do go wrong.
 
The Snafu Factor can be humorous - if you are watching it happen to someone else. Comedy is built upon snafus; pratfalls, miscommunications, human errors, and unexpected surprises. When it happens in your own life, however, it is not so funny. These are the times when we cry out, “Why Universe, why did this have to happen today!?” How do you react when your affirmations don’t work, a spiritual teacher or teaching let’s you down, or after years of working on an issue it suddenly creeps back into your life? Remember, the Hubble project hit some snafus and you will likely hit some as well. Does it really help to deny it?
 
While the Snafu Factor can seem to be an obvious problem, it is a part of living. As much as we meticulously plan, act with wisdom, pray or affirm the positive, things can get messed up in a nanosecond, and there is not much to do about it except to use it in a positive way. Here are four suggestions on how to squeeze something of value out of what appears to be a negative snafu.
 

1. Change your Path

Sometimes the Universe puts up a roadblock for a reason. Snafus can act as an efficient guidance system that actually works for your highest good. In 2001 a man won a huge lottery jackpot. He was scheduled to fly out to consult with a financial advisor at the World Trade Center complex in New York City. The meeting was scheduled for September 11, 2001. Hours before his flight the man became violently ill. Unable to physically move, less travel, he cancelled his meeting in New York and avoided the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history – the 9-11event.
 
What if this man had forced himself to take the trip? Was that the right action? By not going he was spared a dangerous and deadly situation. Life is not always logical, although you can try to make it fit into a rational model. Another typical snafu is when words come out of your mouth that harms a relationship, effectively ending it. The snafu may be helping you to release someone who is no longer for your highest good. There can be a misunderstanding or something just feels wrong about connecting with that person anymore. While this might be irritating and confusing, it is often useful. The Universe can and will change your plans for you. Rather than fighting snafus to get your way, consider that they are actually serving your highest way.
 

2. Lighten Upward

Life can be a very serious business. When things go wrong it can become even more serious, harsh, uncomfortable and heavy. Your attitude will determine the effects you experience from any snafus.
 
A man was hired to collect money for a company. The person who had held this position previously had been unreliable. The company was in financial stress and if the new employee did not collect the money quickly the company might close. Under this pressure the man worked intensely. He put in long hours, reorganized his department, and did every possible thing he could do to ensure that money would be collected. One day at work, while lost in thought as he obsessively examined data on a computer monitor, he went to sit down in his chair and fell flat on his back! Absorbed by his job, he had forgotten that he had moved his chair away from his desk! This pratfall gave him and the other stressed people in the office a shared, momentary fit of laughter. He felt silly, but realized how distracted he was and calmed down. The money came in and the company thrived. Life can either be a comedy or drama. Perhaps a good approach is to lighten up? Sometimes the thing we need most is a good laugh to break our mental state of seriousness and, in that case, snafus can come in very handy.
 

3. Learn a Lesson

Snafus can force us to change, learn and grow. If you repeatedly have bad luck in general or experience resistance with a goal, if you feel something is not happening in the time frame or way you would prefer, ask, “What is the message?” If we are not getting the lesson, we are not getting the message.
 
Gas prices are high causing inflated prices for energy and many everyday common products and services. At the same time our pollution is accelerating Global Warming. Now, we must find ways to make it financially feasible to supply products and services and be good to our planet’s environment. It is going to require innovation, change and flexibility. We have gotten a message and need to act upon it.
 
If you want to learn about love, you may experience heartbreak. The desire for inner peace may bring you in to conflict with your fears. As we grow we may have to let go of old habits. No affirmation can replace a lesson. Use snafus to learn what you need to learn and move on.
 

4. Accept the Perfection of it all

There is the way things are and the way we want things to be. Sometimes they match up and sometimes they don’t. The story of spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle is a perfect example. At age 29 he had a spiritual awakening. This was after years of depression, disillusionment and the search to make sense of life. Tolle was actually homeless when he awoke to a greater reality. He was pushed over the edge into a bigger universe of consciousness. One of his main teachings is living in the “Now”. His descent into being a street person oddly led him to inner peace.
 
All of our experiences have a perfection to them; they all serve a purpose. Snafus will crop up on your path of joy, but they need not stop you from happiness. If you look deeply enough you will see that your snafus have benefited you in some way.
 

© Egan Sanders, 2007

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