Wow

CA Prashant Gupta (DGM (F & A)) (14068 Points)

22 March 2013  

Last spring 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!"
 
I didn't realize it at that moment, but that little girl 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 girl, 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 that little girl and make it a "Wow!" experience. The "Wow!" response always works . .