Around six years ago my wife and I went to six flags. We were just two adults doing something not very “adult-ish” and it was awesome. As we pulled into the parking lot there were signs everywhere about a Flash Pass that would let you cut to front of the line on any ride when it’s your time. There are three levels of the Flash Pass. The first level is just the basic pass and it lets you cut to the front of the line at your reserved time. The Flash Pass Gold level cuts your wait time by 50%. And the cream of the crop Platinum Pass cuts your wait by 90%. You pay double the price for 90% less waiting. This is obviously the most logical choice. My wife and I opted for the Platinum Pass for two different reasons. Hers was that she’s never done it before and the idea of riding as many rides as possible is exhilarating. For me, I just couldn’t stomach the idea of sitting in line watching everyone else cut in front of me because they bought the passant I didn’t.
While I wish that my choice was driven by the sheer thrill of riding roller coasters, I had to recognize that I probably couldn’t handle standing there watching others pass us by. Maybe it had to do with the current circumstances we were enduring at the time where it seemed everyone we knew was passing us by. We had gone through infertility and multiple miscarriages so the pain ran deep. I think it’s worth mentioning that when you feel passed by, left out, or just on the outskirts then you tend to make decisions based on that underlying feeling. Disappointment will make you do things in a way that you normally wouldn’t. So when the opportunity presents itself, focusing on the motive is important, even if the end result is the same. The power of Enjoyment will always deliver a much more significant and long-lasting benefit than a fear-based decision to avoid disappointment.
