E+R=O

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where it becomes apparent that someone is really upset and it has nothing to do with you? I found myself in such a predicament as I was beginning my vacation before Labor Day. I had boarded my Southwest flight and since I never check in early, had a late B seat. Much to my surprise, there was a seat available in the front row in the middle. Since I am six foot tall, give or take an inch, I was happy to have the leg room and stretch out. However, the individual sitting on the aisle seat had his foot up clearly blocking the entry and it became apparent that he did not want anyone to sit down in the middle seat. I said excuse me and sat down not expecting what came next. He began to mumble under his breath about why I couldn’t have sat in the back of the plane, that there were plenty of seats available in the back and that I needed to go to the back of the plane. I smiled and sat there, with no response. What started to go through my head was the phrase event plus response equals outcome, E+R=O. I knew that my response to the event would determine the outcome and so I began to repeat this in my head. Throughout the flight, he continued to mumble but wouldn’t speak directly to me. I sat, smiled and repeated E+R=O in my head. I could have responded in a negative way but thanks to my current experience with Jack Canfield, I used E+R=O to my advantage. Remember that we all have the ability to control our responses to the events in our lives. Think twice and the outcome will be positive.