Framing the Dialogue

Having read Fish, I could not help buying a copy of this book when I saw it.  It did not hurt that I found a copy miss-priced on the clearance shelves at Half Price Books.  I got my copy for $2.00.  I was not a cheat; I pointed out their error, but they sold it to me anyway. 

In Fish! For Life, Stephen C. Lundin shows you how to apply a business model to your personal life.  That sounds funny, but the Fish ingredients nicely fit into family life:

• Play – Carry a light heart
• Make their day – You can have a positive effect on others
• Be there – Learn to be where you actually are (undivided attention)
• Choose your attitude – You cannot control what happens, but you DO have control of your attitude.

The authors highlight their principles through the eyes of a family going through some stressful times.  I would suggest that the phrase “family stress” is redundant.  Having a family takes work and it was good to be reminded of some simple tools to make life better.  

I found a quote from the book particularly inspiring:

“One day you finally knew
What you had to do, and began”

I took my daughters shopping to a market district near our home.  As we were going into a Mexican grocery store a young girl was outside dancing to the Latin music playing outside.  That little girl displayed all of the ingredients of Fish For Life.  She had chosen to have a great attitude as evidenced by her light-hearted dance (Play).   She was aware of her audience and really made my day. 

I still get a smile thinking about it.