Creating Powerful Moments this Christmas
If our lives are a collection of moments, our memories are a reel of the most significant ones.
In their book, The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath share a creative way to create meaningful moments for positive memories. Research of the brain shows us that we don’t have truly accurate memories. In fact, most of us only remember specific moments. What makes those moments memorable? They fit into one of three memory categories: the highlight moments, the horrible moments, and the ending moments. At Wellspring, we use this framework to make meaningful moments with our clients, staff, and community. Using this framework, we believe we can orchestrate our lives to create positive and memorable moments.
This holiday season, we want to use Chip and Dan Heath’s acronym, “EPIC” for creating memorable moments:
E – Elevated: elevated moments are extraordinary, bigger, better, or surprising
P – Prideful: prideful moments make us feel proud, successful, or acknowledged
I – Insightful: insightful moments happen when our worldview shifts; we have an “a-ha moment”
C – Connecting: connecting moments occur when we create a shared human experience
So, how can we create EPIC moments as we share gifts this Christmas?
E – Elevated
Giving a loved one a Christmas gift you know they would enjoy can be a great way to create an elevated moment. If the gift is personal, or the recipient has wanted the gift for a long time, this can increase the buildup of excitement and the feeling of satisfaction in both the gift giver and recipient. Giving a friend or family member a written apology or expressing thankfulness are also wonderful gifts to give loved ones this holiday season. Expressing gratitude is a great gift to give yourself this season too! See YouTube video: An Experiment in Gratitude: The Science of Happiness.
P – Prideful
Creating a gift instills a sense of pride in you as the gift’s creator and your gift’s recipient. When we use the gifts God gave us to create something in his image, we can create meaningful moments in the exchange. Time is expensive, so if a loved one can tell that you spent a lot of time on the gift you created for them, they will feel a great sense of pride not only in you, but in the love that surrounds your relationship. Creating gifts that have meaning create meaningful moments!
I – Insightful
Serving others during Christmas not only creates meaningful moments but reminds us why the moments have meaning. Some friend groups and families serve meals at a homeless shelter, give gifts to a sponsored family, or make a financial contribution to a personally meaningful organization. It is important to remember that gifts are not about the objects themselves, but rather the meaningful moment created in their exchange. Giving the gift of experience through sharing a meal, going to a concert, or walking through a museum are all gifts that create great joy in their exchange. This year, try giving the gift of shared experience!
C – Connecting
We live in a world where being present is important now more than ever. The classic Christmas movies are about being together for a reason! When we are in community with our loved ones over the holidays, we have the opportunity to give someone else a gift they didn’t know they needed. Statistically, all of us have a loved one who struggles with their mental health during the holidays. When we have the opportunity to make a friend or family member feel loved during a hard time, we can give them the gift of a meaningful moment of joy in connection.
How can we create EPIC moments using traditions this Christmas?
E – Elevated
Celebrating the Advent season is a great way to stay present during the entire Christmas season. The small traditions and practices of Advent not only help remind us to stay present starting December 1, but help remind us of the real reason for celebrating the season. When we are fully present during this season, we can truly celebrate all the joy that comes with looking at Christmas lights and spending time with loved ones all in the same place.
P – Prideful
Creating and practicing traditions with family members and friends helps instill a sense of pride in both phases of creation and practice. When teaching our kids the traditions our parents taught us, our kids can feel pride in who they are and the people from which they came. When we create new traditions with our friends, we can feel a sense of pride in creating these new memorable and meaningful moments. Expressing gratitude is also always a great way for a loved one to experience the gift of pride, and a meaningful moment, in your relationship.
I – Insightful
The purpose of tradition is to practice and celebrate love. During the Christmas season, honoring the love of Christ and his birth is a great way to create meaningful experiences with loved ones! Creating new traditions with loved ones, giving a gift to Christ such as a donation of your time at a homeless shelter, or going to Church are experiences that help remind us of God’s gift to us: the gift of perfect and unconditional love. Starting a gratitude journal, creating a goal of complaining less, or spending time taking deep breaths in nature are also great ways to create meaningful experiences for yourself. Don’t forget to give yourself something this Christmas: some self-love!
C – Connecting
Watching a cheesy Christmas movie with your mom, looking at Christmas lights with your friends, or hosting an ugly Christmas sweater party for your neighbors are all great traditions to practice during the holiday season. When we create meaningful moments with loved ones, we experience the gift of connection itself. While it may be tempting to order take-out and watch a movie alone this Christmas, we hope you text or call a loved one and experience the joy that comes with human connection!
If the moments are EPIC, we are a lot more likely to remember them. And sometimes, the EPIC moments are not all positive experiences. The good news is that the endings are what we are likely to remember, and we always have the power to change the ending! Even if Christmas dinner burns, everyone forgets to get you a gift, AND you fight with every family member, you have the ability to create a positive ending. Even if things go unexpectedly, you can find a way to make the experience end well; a way it will be positively remembered. When we approach the ones closest to us with love the love of Christ, we can enjoy the connection that will inevitably foster and grow despite the circumstances. This Christmas, we hope you can create EPIC moments by letting Christ’s love color the season.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and God’s Blessings to you from us at Wellspring!
