Families on the beach are a great sources of quotes. This week, they were also an inspiration for this blog post.
A family of four – mom, dad, two boys – arrived at the hotel beach. Everyone looked happy enough to kill some time on the beach since it was too early for them to check into their room. Until. The. Rain.
The smiles remained for three of the four, but the younger boy was in tears as they headed back toward the hotel. This was the exchange between the young boy and his mom.
Toddler: “I hate vacation!”
Mom: “Oh, honey, you don’t hate vacation. It’s the sand that’s bothering you.”
Toddler: “It’s in my shoes.” The crying ramped up to sobbing.
And with that, the boy’s mom talked him through the ordeal of walking with sand-filled shoes another 10 feet to the sand-free area where his dad and older brother were patiently waiting for him.
A couple of hours later, I headed over to the sand-free pool. The family appeared to be having a great time: all four were in the pool. Both boys were laughing and playing. No shoes filled with sand here!
Lessons learned here from a toddler:
The next time you think it’s time to quit your job or fire a client, ask yourself a few questions:
- Is it really time to move on from your job or client, or do you just need to get out of the sandbox?
- Do you feel the need to sever this relationship only when it’s raining, or is this job / client always a buzz kill?
- Why am I spending so much time in a sandbox when I don’t like sand?
Sometimes asking and answering a couple of simple questions can provide new perspective. Give it a try the next time you’re tempted to run for cover when the rain hits while you’re in the sandbox.
