Thursday was the beginning of Season Four of Scandal, ‘Meet Randy, Red, Superfreak, and Julia’  so there is lots to talk about.

Just like all of us imagined this new season started off with a loud bang…

Shonda Rhimes always provides some excellent talking points and in Olivia Pope fashion I am going in to talk about some things we can things we can learn from this weeks episode.

So, here is our spin on 7 things you can learn from this week’s episode of Scandal.

The first season opens up with Olivia Pope on the beach with her beau Jake getting some nice rest and relaxation. It appears she has embraced the quiet, far away from all the Washington political drama. She has embraced this break from reality and she is learning how to enjoy life. 

Lesson 1. All of us need to know WHEN and HOW to take a break.  

You really do have the ability to shut things down when it necessary and there are times when you need to do just that, take a break, shut things down, and don’t be afraid to walk away.

No, you may not be able to get an extended break or runaway to an island, but you can stop overloading your schedule and you can walk away from the things in your life that are not urgent and important.  Even the best gladiators, NEED a break every now and then. So even if it is just an hour to stop clear your head. Take a break and make rest and relaxation something you schedule and then actually do. 

At some point no matter who you are, you have to go back to reality and get back to work.  The goal is to unplug, refuel and then go back new and ready for what is next.  

Lesson 2. Your problems don’t go away just because you did, you have to face them.

When you have a problem you have to acknowledge them, fix them, and move forward.  Running away is a short term solution, it may help today, but then there is tomorrow.

Olivia left in a hurry and came back to a mess and that is exactly what will happen if you run away from your problems.  When you don’t handle your business you will come back and find fires, where there were small solvable problems. Olivia Pope’s return is a stark reminder that we can take vacations, relax, even unplug but it is better to have your house in order before you leave so you don’t find yourself going from crisis to crisis when you come back.

Lesson Three.   Have a plan and if you can test it out.

Olivia left in a hurry without assessing her staffs abilities to go on without her.  Harrison is dead and the office is in turmoil.  Olivia left, but she didn’t take care of business while she was gone. She left her staff in a lurch and they folded.  No direction, bad direction, Olivia’s staff didn’t know what to do without her.  It is the same way with us, when you don’t have a good plan in place, poor planning or bad planning can create a crisis in a second. Bottom Line…have a plan

Lesson Four. Take care of your “Ride or Die friends”
Harrison was all about team Olivia Pope, he was ride or die, and now he is gone.
Loyal friends deserve your support your understanding and you should have their back, as much as possible.  Olivia reminds us that our friends are important and when we don’t look out for them we can find them gone..literally or figuratively.

Lesson Five. Always do your own research.

Listen to what other people tell you, but you need to be willing to do your own research, if you want to know what is really going on.  There is always something in between the lines, if you do your own research you may catch something that other people miss.  Look for things that don’t quite make sense, look at the details, all of them and look for discrepancies. Olivia Pope is great at finding holes in stories, and finding the details they left out.  Remember, you are not second-guessing the other person you are protecting yourself.  Great gladiators, are always ready to look underneath the surface to find the real story.

Lesson 6. Some Things Need To Stay In The Past
Sometimes you have to close the door and keep it closed. It is still early, but Olivia Pope seems to be leaving her past in her past.. hopefully she will keep it that way. She let go of her beach fantasy, because she realized that she still had a job to do, and hopefully she let go of Fitz. You have to be willing to let go of old dreams to grab hold of new ones.

Lesson 7.. Stay Tuned.. Life is Always Getting Better

Be ready for part two of your life to be better, greater. Your best days are ahead of you, not behind you.. Be Ready..

Well these are just a few of our reflections and some lessons we learned.. from episode one please share your reflections and any lessons you learned.  If you want a sneak peak of what you can expect this week… take a look at this video.. looks like it’s going to be another steamy one…