Are you familiar with the concept of a “course-correcting quote?”

The name is as it suggests—a short, memorable phrase that immediately shifts your perspective, along with your direction.

We’ll often introduce such phrases to our clients. But sometimes, our clients will introduce one to us.

I had just such an experience last week.

We were consulting with a team who was working through a complex problem their organization needed to address. I won’t get into specifics, but let’s just say it would have been easy to look at this particular situation and think: 

“What a mess!”

In the middle of said discussion, the leader got a big smile on his face, looked around the room, and said the following words:

“What a ride!”

In changing that last word from “mess” to “ride,” he completely reframed the situation. Instead of an unfortunate mess to clean up, this was now:

• A memory to be made

• An adventure to pursue

• A quest to undertake

• And dare I say, an obstacle to embrace

You see, we all know intuitively that every great story involves resistance. No one wants to watch a movie where the hero gets what she wants right away—her struggle to overcome adversity is what makes the story interesting and forces her to grow.

That’s essentially what this leader was expressing when he said, “What a ride!” He was inviting his team to reframe their “problem” as an “opportunity”—to live out a grand story together and grow in extraordinary ways.

It immediately resonated with me and has already started to impact the way I approach complex problems in my life. “What a ride!” feels so much healthier than “What a mess!” (at least to me) 

But I’m curious to hear what you think:

1. What’s a current “mess” you’re trying to clean up that could be reframed as an “adventure” to be embraced?

2. How might such a perspective shift change the vibe for you and others involved?

3. What are some drawbacks to this approach?

Thoughts from fellow travelers

Thanks to the many dedicated readers who responded to my last newsletter with suggestions for an “S” word to describe walking outdoors. Honorable mentions go to “Stroll” and “Saunter.” But the winner is my good friend from Harrisburg, PA who came up with “Steps” (though he later admitted ChatGPT generated it for him). 

On a more serious note, one reader challenged the notion that I should even expect to avoid busyness during this stage of life and family, which is fair. It got me thinking about the difference between being “busy” and feeling “hurried,” which I do think are two different things. 

Carry on fellow travelers, we’ll talk soon!