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A Little Cloud for You: Making the Ordinary Magical
I noticed a lot of American parents are really good at making the ordinary magical.
My parents grew up in war-torn Japan so doing the magical stuff wasn’t at the top of their priority list. Nope. My brother and I were told we’re lucky to have food and shelter.
So when I become a parent, whenever possible, I try to sprinkle in some magic for my kiddos.
I’ll tell my four year old Ella, “One little cloud for your right hand and another for your left…” when dispensing foam soap into her small, chubby hands 💕
“Wow!” She whispers with shining eyes.
I try to teach her right and left while inserting a tiny bit of magic✨
Similarly, I’m sure your emails have advice, valuable tips and whatnot, but it’s good practice to inject a little bit of magic too.
You can do this by sharing a story and then digging into the emotions behind the story.
- Like how you and your sister planned on sleeping at 3pm on Dec 24 so Christmas would arrive a little bit sooner 🎄
- Or when you got sick and your mom gave you chicken noodle soup (and maybe even a popsicle) 🥣
- Or when your dad picked you up from the airport after a long trip and seeing his face instantly felt like home 🏠
There is magic in ordinary stories.
Because those are the moments that once gone, they are gone forever.
You’ll never be a kid again, waking up on Christmas morning next to your sister.
At a certain point, your mom won’t be able to cook comforting meals for you.
And your dad picking you up from the airport? Most of the time it’s just easier to Uber.
And by opening up about these moments, you enter a special place shared by so many others: a deep appreciation for what once was.
And just like I did, you’ll realize there was magic in the everyday.
And while my parents didn’t give me little magic clouds in my hands, my mom who didn’t speak a lick of English somehow figured out that in America, little kids eat chicken noodle soup on sick days, and miraculously, out of an infinite number of options, found the right can of Campbell’s, that to this day, the distinct scent immediately takes me back — and suddenly, I’m 6 years old again, feeling loved, comforted, and taken care of.
If you’re driven by purpose, you have these stories. That’s why you’re doing the thing, trying to make a change. An impact. You can only do that if you can convey those big emotions in a way that resonates with your followers' own stories.
And you have to continue to wave that flag and remind people. But you can’t keep doing it in an annoying, boring, repetitive way. People will tune it out.
So the goal is not to write more emails. The goal is to sprinkle a tiny bit of magic into the lives of people so they’ll see themselves in you and know that you’re working towards the same beautiful vision, whatever that may be.
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Cin
