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Friday, December 6, 2024

The WOW factor

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The smell of steaks sizzling on the grill, the sound of the cannons in the 1812 Overture, the refreshing feel of a pool on a hot day, and a Maserati! These all have elements of the wow factor – at least to me.

According to Michael Hyatt in his book, Platform, wow is literally when you look at something, hear it or feel it and say, “WOW!” He wrote about a meeting with his executive team. He asked each of them to tell one of the wow moments in their life.

He wrote, “One person spoke of the birth of their child. Another told of the first time he kissed his wife. Still another shared his experience of seeing Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe for the first time. It was so inspiring. We all could see each person’s face light as he or she spoke. The rest of us vicariously entered into the joy” (p. 8).

Hyatt stated that every wow experience has a combination of the following:

  • Surprise
  • Anticipation
  • Resonance
  • Transcendence
  • Clarity
  • Presence
  • Universality
  • Evangelism
  • Longevity
  • Privilege

Hyatt continued, “Being successful means becoming the expert in recognizing wow when it shows up….Don’t settle for something less, because, in doing so, you are depriving your customers of the wow experience they seek – and deserve. It is the foundation to building a significant platform” (p. 10).

I have thought of “health moments” as very important wow experiences. There have been times when I started off the day not feeling well, but found as the day went on I felt better, and by the end of the day – wow! I was well.

We all have had wow moments – getting over the flu, losing a few pounds, saying “no” to something not wise for us to eat, having a headache disappear. Each of these moments have the elements of Hyatt’s wow definition – they may surprise us, others can relate to our experience, you can share it, and it makes you feel good.

J. Randy Taraborrelli, writes in his book, After Camelot, of a time in 1983 when R. Sargent Shriver was faced with severe pains in his stomach. The doctors could not find a cause. One day in church, as Shriver was praying and quietly contemplating his life, suffering, pain and the life of Christ, Shriver stated, “…I was thinking this thing over, really mulling it over when something washed over me. It was a peace and calm such that I had never before experienced. I knew in that very moment that it didn’t make any difference what was going on in my body, my soul was okay. And from that moment on, I am not kidding you, from that moment on, I began to feel…better” (p. 290).

He went back to the doctor and all tests were negative. What a wow moment!

Finding our wow moments may take a time of quiet introspection and contemplation. Sometimes ideas and inspiration come better in silence. But everyone has them – they are universal. They can give us the solutions to our financial needs, our business problems, and even our health!

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Thomas (Tim) Mitchinson
Thomas (Tim) Mitchinsonhttp://www.csillinois.com
Naperville resident, Thomas (Tim) Mitchinson, writes on the relationship between thought, spirituality and health, and trends in that field. He is also the media spokesman for Christian Science in Illinois. You can contact him at illinois@compub.org.
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