Traveling over the weekend, my wife and kids all fell asleep, except my 10 year old.
He asked a great question as we stayed up late watching whatever he found.
He asked why TV shows always stop for commercials at the best part.
I love these moments where a massive learning opportunity presents itself in an organic way. Or a moment to make a memory.
I told him I’d share a secret with him about why shows do that on purpose. I told him that people that know the answer to this secret… it’s the key to their success.
I was about to tell him the value of attention. As I setup it up I asked, “what is more valuable than money?”
He replied “family.”
“Yes, but…”
As I struggled how to ask in a different way, he answered again.
“Love.”
“Yes. Super good answers. Way better answers. Correct. Let me think about how to ask in a different way so it answers your questions about commercials…”
“Friendship!”
I struggled to figure out how and answer it to address his original question about commercials and capitalism. I eventually asked him something like, “what can make you money without needing money?” And we talked about the value of attention.
But I didn’t even care by that point. I was just overwhelmed with pride in his answers.
I don’t know if it ended up making a memory for him, but it did for me.
