Last April I was walking in a park. My daughter, who was then three 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 her. I braced myself for some screaming and crying.
But, no! As my daughter turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, “Wow!”
I didn’t realize it at that moment, but my daughter taught me something.
Later that day, I received a phone call from a client with news of an unexpected problem. I felt like responding with “Oh no, what should we do?” But remembering my daughter, 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 not preordained 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 this story and make it a “Wow!” experience. The “Wow!” response always works.
