Last week, my family went to Cape Cod for vacation and we went parasailing - partly the result of a dare from my father-in-law.
Lesson #1 - Be a Flyer, Not a Passenger
As we boarded the boat with 10 other vacationers, we were separated into two groups: passengers and flyers. I have 11-year old twins and up we went - 1,000 feet above the ocean. It felt like we were in a movie and the background was a green screen - it was so vivid! We laughed the whole time. We had pangs of panic at times when we heard tiny crackling sounds from the rope - our lifeline! I’m sure being an observer was enjoyable but it paled in comparison to feeling as light as a feather as we floated far above the boat with the sound of our parachute flapping above us.
Lesson #2 - Vulnerability is a Strength
The mood was serious and perhaps that’s why I blurted out my silly statement. Maybe I said it just to make my kids laugh. Our burly, bronzed deckhand told us he’d be taking pictures of us as we flew so I asked if he could take a few tasteful nudes. Luckily, everyone laughed and it loosened the tension onboard. Afterwards, I realized it’s the moment of not knowing that is the most exciting part for me. Jerry Seinfeld described the moment when you finish delivering the joke and wait to see the audience’s reaction. It’s a moment of surrender for the joke teller. It’s putting trust in other people’s hands. And I like that. Naturally, I’m not espousing telling distasteful or hurtful jokes.
Lesson #3 - Share Your Personality Generously
After our adventure, we walked ashore and a high-school aged girl approached us to see if we wanted to purchase the photos. She wasn’t impolite. She just showed zero personality. I suppose she wasn’t encouraged to be personable or relate in any meaningful way with customers. This only came up during the ride in the mini-van to return to the campground. My sons and I had a conversation about sharing one’s personality and friendliness with others. They accused me of saying something mean about that girl but I explained to them that wasn’t my intent. I gave my sons a few examples of things she could’ve said other than “Nope” and “Yup” to get more sales and to give us an even better experience - to put the cherry on top. Being friendly and supportive is a muscle that needs reps every day.
Related blog posts:
The First Step in Self-Development