It’s All In Your Approach 3


It’s All in your Approach… I was mad. I didn’t get what I wanted, so my approach was packing up my bags and run away.

In my six-year-old mind, I took all of the essentials: clothes, my favorite stuffed animal and my favorite 2-foot doll, Cricket. All of my precious belongings fit perfectly in two brown paper bags.  I was determined to take the four mile hike to grandma’s house.

It’s beyond me now as to why I was so angry with my mom, but “Grandma, here I come!”

Two specific moments I remember from my escape: how I carried the bags and my mom’s approach to getting me back.

Leading outside of our house to our driveway, we had 15 concrete steps. I had to carry one bag at a time up each step.  Hugged one bag, took it up two steps, go back for the second, bring it up four steps (you know – to surpass the first bag – I was a smart kid!)  I did this up the steps and about halfway down the driveway.  All of a sudden in my little mind, it occurred to me;  I would have to do this the whole way to grandma’s house!  But you think that deterred me?  No way!  I was leaving – my mind (and ego) was made up!

Then all of a sudden, I heard my mom open the dining room window and yell to me, “Amanda, do you want some hot chocolate before you leave?”

I didn’t have to think twice. Of course, I wanted hot chocolate before I left!  So I hugged one bag at a time and brought them down the steps the same way I brought them up.

Needless to say, I didn’t make it to grandma’s house that day.  Mom and I had delicious hot chocolate and sat together at the dining room table.  We immediately made up and all was forgiven.  Not to mention, I was pretty relieved that I didn’t have to take the exhausting hike to Grandma’s house!

As I grew up, I often thought about this scenario between parent and child.

Instead of my mom yelling at me to “come home”, “go to time-out” or “you’re not running away”, she let me have my own independence. She let me feel my anger and express it.

But her approach in bringing me back home was brilliant! She didn’t make me feel bad, foolish or ashamed.  In my young mind at the time, she just wanted to have some hot chocolate with me to see me off… she wasn’t holding me back from leaving.

In my mom’s mind – it was pretty obvious – she offered me something to get me back home before I got too far in order to make up in the meantime.

It's All In Your Approach

The moral of the story is this: You have a choice in your approach to life. Whatever your situation is, think outside the box.  How you handle a problem is your choice – It’s all in your approach. Do you blow up and scream out of anger or handle it calmly?  It’s time we all stop and think about our actions and approaches before following through.  It will help our own conscience and give well deserved empathy toward our peers (or enemies) – and maybe some hot chocolate.

This Journey Called Life is yours and yours alone – It’s All In Your Approach.  How do you approach it?


 

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About Amanda Sue

I’m on a Journey. A Journey Called Life. Destination? Unknown. Happiness? Generally. Frustrations? Definitely. Embracing it? You bet your ass I am! [Enlighten, Encourage & Embrace]

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