Becoming a Momentologist: Missing Less and Claiming More

(Note to my subscribers: I'm shifting my newsletter title / focus for "Mitch's Mindfulness Memo" to "The Momentologist Memo" ... Read on and you'll see why!)

Riddle: What something you always have, it’s all you’ve ever had, all you ever will, you’ll never possess it, you can’t make it stay, you can’t make it leave, and yet it’s the source of all true happiness?

Moments …. What are they? 

Authors Chip and Dan Heath, in their book, The Power of Moments, looked to define moments and refine our ability to conjure the “defining” ones. For the. Heaths, “defining moments” are “meaningful experiences that stand out in our memory. Many of them owe a great deal to chance.” 

The Heath brothers spend the book cataloguing the “traits” of meaningful moments: those of insight, elevation, connection, pride. They review some science and offer suggestions for how people can stack the deck of circumstances to make more of these traits likely in life, to make the “defining” ones less elusive.  

My sense is that it's less that moments are meaningful “out there” – that it’s the characteristics of moments themselves imbuing them with resonance, vitality, and impact. I’m wondering if it’s better to go “upstream” (that’s a joke – Dan Heath just released a book by that title). Actually, it’s more going in-stream …

If you learn to shift your entire way of seeing, of experiencing, moments in life, won’t you be the one who angles toward insight, who conjures experiences that inspire (elevate), who compassionately connects with and leads others (even when it’s hard), who savors the empowerment / victory experiences (and those of others)? 

Instead of using a circumstances “checklist” to scan for moments “out there” that would be candidates for meaningfulness, how about getting trained in the methods, the mindset of a Momentologist, and be the one who points these moments out, who fosters their emergence, for oneself and others?  

Here’s what momentologists aim to do:

1. They commit to studying the NOW – the present moment – in the service of resonance, creation, and connection in the NEXT

2. They are less fixated on the burpings of their brains – the thoughts arising with stickiness or barbs attached. Momentologists can put down their minds and pick up their lives, in moments. 

3. The currency of a momentologist is clear, compassionate, audacious awareness of the present moment’s arisings. When nuanced opportunities arise (like waves) instead of missing them due to mind-body-blindness, momentologists cash in with caring, flexible, well-timed responses.

4. They are “surfers” of now potential. They ride their experiences of thought, emotion, and bodily sensations with awareness, orienting themselves to cresting potential. They see and feel the timing of when and where action will resonate and where and when it will not. 

5. They are people of silence and patient allowing (and therefore allow others the space they need to learn and grow and allow themselves to gather the data as to when and where action is most resonant). They downplay the din of applause directed their way, deemphasize account balances and dividends rising. They deidentify with the swell of acclaim or accolades.

6. They are people of vibrant, effective action (they say and do what situations require without an emphasis on ego – they act for WE). Their clear-seeing and audacious doing allows them to perceive what is pregnant in the now, to be born in the next.

5. They spot the “prizes” of pain-wanting-to-compost-into-possibility in others, as well as the treasures of creative potential in others. They intrinsically want to call these forward for others to claim them.

Momentologists are meta-folks. They are meta-professionals (they are fully engaged in their professional endeavor-moments and yet seeing these with mindful, compassionate perspective). They are meta-parents and family members as well. They (not perfectly mind you!) see behind the tantrums and defense dances of loved ones. They walk with a deep sense of “we” in their hearts and minds.

Momentologists are the bringers, the whisperers of prize-moments in, for and of others. 

Yes, the Heath brothers were right to focus in on the power of moments. I think, however, it’s best that we earn our diplomas in momentology for ourselves.

Moments matter.  Study them. Make them.

Warm regards for the moments to come!

 Mitch

P.S. Click here to access my latest, free mindfulness, habit change and career growth guides and tools.