A large gathering of my family happened this weekend. Parts of my extended family from thousands of miles away were in town, and the plan had been to get everyone into the pool.
It was pouring rain today. But other than that, it was perfect. Perfect temperature, no lightning or anything, just a marvelous day – except for all the water falling out of the sky.
But… so what? That pool was filled with people anyway. Everyone just decided they didn’t care, and why should they? You’re getting wet either way! The younger kids all wanted to stay in that pool all day, and they had a great time. In fact, in several ways, it was even better – no bugs, no sunburn, no hot concrete to walk across.
There’s a broader lesson here; isn’t there always? We so often mentally associate two or more things together, like “swimming” and “sunny day,” that we fail to see the opportunities to enjoy things we love even without the bundle. Sure, a sunny day might be a great day to go swimming. But that doesn’t mean you can only swim on sunny days.
You can do 99% of the stuff you like in less-than-ideal conditions and still have an absolute blast. You don’t need the perfect moment. Swimming in the rain is just as fun.
The Opportunity Machine 