I was peed on for the first time in my life today. My nearly two-year old son – if anyone was going to do it, I’m glad it was him. It’s probably more of a surprise that I’ve managed to go this long without it happening. It’s just one of those things that comes with being a parent. There’s probably no way of getting around it.
It’s funny how perspective works. In any other situation, getting peed on would make me furious. But when it’s your child, you just look down and say: “Oh.”
Then laugh. Well, I laughed. Maybe other people would be upset but I couldn’t help but laugh. My son looked at me and said: “Dada, uh oh.” I just nodded my head and said, “Yes. Uh oh.”
Perspective is a re-arrangement of your mind. It lets you reconfigure situations, people, events, and ideas in new ways. We all choose our perspectives. Or rather, we are capable of choosing our perspectives.
Often times we’re lazy and let someone else choose our perspective. Our parents, religion, the media, our spouse, our friends. But it’s one of the few things in life you can control. You have a choice when it comes to perspective. You don’t have to keep the one you currently have. At any time you can replace it with another one.
I took off my shirt and threw it on the ground. “Dada nake.” (This means naked) We’re at the stage where being naked is fun and exciting – cause to run back and forth down the hallway. When was the last time you thought being naked was more than enough reason to run up and down a hallway screaming your head off?
I go through the motions of getting him ready for bed. PJs on. Brushing his teeth (he hates this). Reading books. Mostly about trucks and construction vehicles; though a new book on dogs is proving popular. I put him to bed.
I went to my laptop, intent on tying the event into professional development somehow. “What It’s Like to be Peed on in Business.” “Top 5 Ways Being Peed On Resembles Your Office.” “How to Get Peed On in Social Media.”
But that’s not what it was about it. It’s about my son. It’s about me.
Sometime personal development is actually what professional development is about. You’re not suddenly a different person once you put on a suit and go to the office. You read emails on your phone when you’re at home. You check on Facebook while at you’re desk. There’s no division between the two. It’s about growing as a person. Learning from everything around you. Being willing to change.
I’m going to take a shower.