Finding The EXTRAORDINARY In The ORDINARY

 

WHO wants the EXTRAORDINARY?  Of course.  Me.  Moi.  Saya.  Wo.  Mich.  WHO DOESN'T love the EXTRAORDINARY?  BUT NOT to douse cold water on anything and everything that's EXTRAORDINARY.  EXTRAORDINARY events, things OR stuff come and happen in trickles, much fewer and far in between.  And that's WHEN things go awry❌❌❌

BUT NOT to shock us all, all studies through the centuries shared results showing that small and ordinary moments often create the most lasting and meaningful memories.  On the other hand, experts tell us that the "PEAK-END RULE" suggests that we tend to remember experiences and events by their emotional HIGHs and NOT just those grandiose events.  Many of us have travelled way outside their local communities and surely, if we do a random pick of WHAT has been memorable and worth relishing, they will pick those EXTRAORDINARY moments.  LIKE if you go to France, you'll remember the Eiffel Tower.  LIKE in Japan, it's either Mount Fuji OR taking the Shinkanzen BUT alas, HOW about those one too many ORDINARY stuff that happens maybe 98% OR 99% most of the time?  More often, in fact, all the time, a tourist going to the U.S. will recall standing at the edge of one of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders, stargazing over the canyon❎❎❎

BUT alas, adults and non-adults can be hugely different.  There was a family on a tour across Europe and every adult CAN'T stop reminiscing every major tourist destination they went.  And then the small boy in their family CAN'T end his excitement with a $1 toy he snagged from 7-Eleven.  Of course, every adult was surprised BUT indeed, that separates us adults from the non-adults.  Ironically, we should be more mature enough, with a much wider perspective BUT that's WHERE the irony lies.  And that leads us all to that so called "MYTH OF BIG MOMENTS".  True, as partners and parents and humans in general, we twist ourselves nto knots trying to create those magical and unforgettable EXTRAORDINARY experiences for the people we love💧💧💧

Common scenarios get us very much deeply involved in planning elaborate vacations, orchestrate grandiose birthday celebration and stress over making every milestone feel significant.  BUT here's the thing.  Meaning ISN'T something we manufacture BUT it's something that happens in those multitudes of small, unexpected spaces n between.  Psychologists coined this as those "PEAK-END RULEs"  WHICH suggests that people DON'T remember an experience by averaging all the moments BUT by recalling the PEAK moments and the way it ended😡😡😡

Our takeaway:  Is it still feasible for us to FIND THE EXTRAORDINARY IN THE ORDINARY?  Of course, we can do it BUT surely, since that 'EXTRAORDINARY' mindset has been deeply embedded within us, it will take a gargantuan effort from each one of us, taking a conscious and consistent approach towards flipping this mindset.  LIKE walking the walk as early as now.  LIKE thanking you walk up in the morning for another day.  LIKE thanking the sunny weather [and NOT hurricanes and typhoons].  And if there's only 1 dish on the table, thankful enough there's dish on the table.  That's FINDING THE EXTRAORDINARY IN THE ORDINARY dude😇😇😇