Let’s learn the ‘WOW’ approach!

Last evening I was walking in a park. A short distance ahead of me was a mom and her three-year-old daughter. The little girl 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 girl. I braced myself for some screaming and crying. But, no! As the little girl turned to watch her balloon go skyward, she gleefully shouted out, "Wow! – Look how my balloon is flying.”

I didn't realize it at that moment, but that little girl taught me a great lesson in positivity in the face of adversity.

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 girl, I found myself saying, "Wow, that's interesting! How can I resolve this without being negative?"

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 that little girl and make it a "Wow!" experience. The "Wow!" response always works.