You know what's great about this?

At the mini love bomb I attended years ago, a woman named Susan identified herself as an extreme optimist. I was instantly envious. Although I am three-quarters filled with optimism and gratitude, I still wish I were a person for whom a smile is my natural expression. Susan had that quality.

She told a story in which she and her partner were out riding their bikes when it began to rain. She was riding behind her partner as they hustled to get home when she yelled out, “You know what’s great about this?”, and before she could continue, her partner turned to her and said, “You know what’s great about you? THAT!”

When she finished talking, I wrote down on a note card “You know what’s great about this?” because I knew it was something I wanted to take home with me. It’s a phrase I want to teach my kids. It’s a habit I want to adopt.

Car battery died again! You know what’s great about that? The exercise I got walking Scarlett to preschool.

My husband on a business trip! You know what’s great about that? I can make scrambled eggs for dinner without wondering if he’s in the mood for that.

In my professional life as a freelance writer, marketing consultant, and blog publisher, together with Heather, I am pretty good about allowing for failed experiments, identifying the lessons learned, and being willing to try something new just to find out if it is a worthwhile endeavor. You know what’s great about that? Heather and I have a collective confidence that whatever we try will be good enough to serve some purpose, whether it’s entertaining our readers, developing a new relationship, or earning us money.

When it comes to the minutiae of life, it’s a little harder for me. My kids have more than 30 small stuffed animals of a particular brand that they insist on storing in a very particular way that makes me crazy. You know what’s great about that? I’m not really sure.

Will you practice with me? Whatever struggle or annoyance is on your mind today, can you give me one response to this question?

You know what’s great about that?

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Whitney

RookieMoms.com co-founder Whitney lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area where she writes about parenting, crafts, and activities that moms can do with babies in tow. She and Heather also publish 510Families.com, a site for East Bay parents.