In late January I saw
an Instagram post. The photo was of ice cream toppings in a variety of bowls but the caption is what really caught my attention:
“Last night, two long-time friends came for dinner and said they would handle dessert. When they arrived, they busted out a bag of every ice cream topping you could imagine, plus three flavors of ice cream. The boys were bouncing off the walls with excitement. Such an easy way to brighten a winter Thursday, and I loved how over-the-top it was. As Chip Heath wrote in
The Power of Moments, ‘Beware the soul-sucking force of reasonableness.’” –
@cupofjo
I finished it last month. One thing to note: it's probably a business book first. The authors write, speak and teach about business & many of the examples are about companies that create moments for their employees and customers to improve service and generate better results. But there were plenty of takeaways (and examples) for everyday life as well.
I have been reflecting a lot recently as we prepare to move and for Paul to exit the military on the “big moments” of the past decade and a half. Prior to reading this book I generally thought “moments” were things that happened to us. Graduations! Births! Deployment returns! They were milestones that were out of the ordinary and left an impression.
What I learned from reading is that yes – “moments” tend to stick with us because they are “out of the ordinary” but we can create them. We can make more powerful moments in our everyday life by changing the script. We can expand life for ourselves (or our kids, or our customers) by doing something different and, yep, rejecting the reasonableness.
I found this incredibly inspiring. So often I default to what feels easiest and fall in the “let's be reasonable” camp. But also…I want a life filled with real magic. It was delightful to realize that I can build that. I can light candles at dinner. I can roll out a variety of ice cream toppings on a school night. I can splash my kids all summer long in the pool. I can look for (and more importantly take) the opportunity to do something extra.
In sum – quick read with a long-lasting impact. That's my report. I would LOVE to hear your thoughts if you read it. Just respond to this email.