Loud Thinking

How To Enjoy Life?

Last summer I was walking in a park. A short distance ahead of me was a mom and her 6 year old son. The little boy was holding on to a string that was attached to a helium balloon.

All of a sudden, a sharp gust of wind took the balloon from the little boy. I braced myself for some screaming and crying.

But, no! As the little boy turned to watch his balloon go skyward, he gleefully shouted out, “Wow!”

I didn’t realize it at that moment, but that little boy taught me something.

Later that day, I received a phone call from a person with news of an unexpected problem. I felt like responding with “Oh no, what should we do?” But remembering that little boy, I found myself saying, “Wow, that’s interesting! How can I help you?”

One thing’s for sure – life’s always going to keep us off balance with its unexpected problems. That’s a given.

What’s in our control, is our response. We can choose to be frustrated or fascinated.

No matter what the situation, a fascinated “Wow!” will always beat a frustrated “Oh, no.”

So the next time you experience one of life’s unexpected gusts, remember that little boy and make it a “Wow!” experience. The “Wow!” response always works .