Curious about Frustration: What Frustrates You? How Do You Deal with It? What Good Results from It?

“Frustration, although quite painful at times, is a very positive and essential part of success.” - Bo Bennett. American businessman

“I've come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy.” - Tony Robbins, American author

You are probably asking why I would choose a word with some negative connotations for the theme of this week’s blog. I have just experienced a frustrating week and knew that writing about it would alleviate the frustration. And, after reading the two opening quotations, I already felt 100% better.

I should have known better, but before and while I was installing the new Vista Operating System on my computer, I ran numerous compatibility checks. The reports that I received told me about a couple of possible problems and one piece of hardware to remove, but nothing sounded disastrous.

If you don’t know me well already, I am what is called a “geekette” and someone else mentioned that in the computer world I would also be known as an “early adopter.” When I started the installation, I was remembering the ease of installing XP Pro when it first appeared. Only one piece of equipment wouldn’t work with it - even though it was new and advertised that it was compatible.

But, the week turned into pure frustration as I had to remedy some of the odd habits my new system was stumbling over, two programs had to be reinstalled, and three programs had to be replaced with upgrades (which are on the way). There may be other challenges that I haven’t yet encountered. Even so, I do think that I am going to enjoy using Vista. But, I am waiting for a couple of weeks before I install the 2007 Office.

In addition, you will discover as I have, that frustration builds character, strength, and success:

• “Success is not built on success. It's built on failure. It's built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe.” - Sumner Redstone, American businessman
• “All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right about face which turns us from failure to success.” - Dorthea Brande, American writer
• “In computing, turning the obvious into the useful is a living definition of the word ‘frustration’". - Alan Perlis, American scientist
• “Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.” - Kurt Vonnegut, American author

Then, there are those whose view of frustration is quite different and varied:

• “I can remember the frustration of not being able to talk. I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not get the words out, so I would just scream.” - Temple Grandin, American educator
• “When too many Americans don't vote or participate, some see apathy and despair. I see disappointment and even outrage. And I believe that out of this frustration can come hope and action.” - Paul Wellstone, American politician
• “In terms of the frustration of my character, I suppose any teenager has probably gone through that, in terms of telling their parents, I want to do one thing, and their parent says no. I think parents sometimes forget that they were children.” - Parminder Nagra, English actress
• “That was always my frustration with so many of these shows, because design is not an ambush... it's a relationship. You have to know how people move and live and work to be able to design for them.” - Genevieve Gorder, American designer

Here are a couple of ideas to think about during the upcoming week:

• “There's nothing worse than the frustration of having somebody who doesn't get what you're doing trying to turn it into something else. It's a very frustrating thing and I never wanted to go through it.” - George Lucas, American director
• “The torment of human frustration, whatever its immediate cause, is the knowledge that the self is in prison, its vital force and 'mangled mind' leaking away in lonely, wasteful self-conflict.” - Elizabeth Drew, American journalist

Tell me, what frustrates you? I would love to read your comments! Or the story of a frustrating time for you.