Consider the Roller Coaster:

It goes Up: Slowly…
It comes Down: Swiftly!
It goes Around: Thrillingly
It takes our breath away!
(And we love it!)

We love it because it can take us right out of our daily routine and make the next ten seconds Absolutely Riveting! The whole world disappears in the face of this wonderful, over-the-top experience! We never ride it and complain that it was unfair, or that taller people were not frightened, or that only the insiders got a good experience…

It’s a Roller Coaster! You buy the ticket! Take the ride! Have the experience! And go back and do it again.

And there’s a silhouette at the entrance, saying “You must be this tall to enter!” (Some people shouldn’t take that ride… Not just yet.)

Some like Merry Go Rounds, but for a big thrill… Roller Coasters are the ticket!

Now, Consider the Stock Market

It goes Up Slowly: We’re fascinated.
It goes Down Swiftly: We’re heartsick!
It goes Around and Around: We can’t take our eyes off the Financials…
It’s an Enormous Thrill! After all, it’s our money! And there’s a sign out front saying: “These investments may not be suitable for certain people…”

We pay a much higher price for this ticket! It has the potential both to scare us to death and finance our aspirations! It is definitely not a Merry Go Round. Nonetheless, we summon our courage, bring our money and commit to investing in order to fund our dreams. Some people like savings accounts, but for a big dream, Investing is the ticket!

Some people shouldn’t take this ride… But keep in mind, it’s not over until you withdraw your money — for the last time…

Consider Life

We Grow and Mature: Slowly.
We experience Success and Failure: Repeatedly.
We go Endlessly Around: Thrillingly. And we can’t look away…

But sometimes, we wish for a Merry Go Round… Unfortunately, Life has its own unique set of rules. It doesn’t always give us what we think we want; but serves up what we need instead.

There’s no sign out front saying, “Enter at Your Own Risk!”

A classic way to get in trouble in Life, the Market, or the Amusement Park is to “Play with Reservation.” Getting on the Coaster, while secretly thinking “Merry Go Round…”

Hey, if you can’t face the blood in the street, this ride may not be for you…

Applications

1. Individually
Found yourself involved in something, while at the same time keeping your claws deep in the carpeting, screaming silently, “NO!”? Sometimes we have to remember that we signed up for this gig. So get back in the game without reservation and Play! As for the Market, if you’re in it, take the long view.

2. At Home Most kids are fearless. It’s the parents who see potential trauma everywhere. But keep them playing! They participate, get bumped, heal, learn big lessons and tell great stories! Just make sure they’re “Tall Enough…”

3. At Work
It’s just work. It goes up… So take some (calculated) risks. Play hard and don’t be afraid to get thrown for a loss. So many people in office buildings are terrified of even speaking up, that they never fully participate in the game.

The Point of Games is: Play! Winning requires your unreserved, undiluted, best effort! “Playing with Reservation” is a great way to fail, repeatedly. In the long view, the score is less important than the sheer joy of participation.

You’re “Tall Enough!” Get out from under the couch and get in there!

Dessert:
Enjoy this clip from the movie “Parenthood”: The Roller Coaster vs. The Merry Go Round