Choose remarkable, not predictable.
Every bowl of Cheerios I’ve ever eaten has tasted exactly the same.
That’s a feature of grocery store food – predictable is better than remarkable. And we’ve come to expect that predictability in a larger and larger part of our lives.
Actually, though, in other human beings – in teachers, in musicians, in chefs and artists and leaders – I’d rather have remarkable than predictable.
Sure, that might mean that occasionally, a teacher has a bad day, or a performer gives a lackluster performance. That kind of variability is inextricably linked to remarkableness. It can’t be avoided. And it means that sometimes, we have to deal with our kids’ teacher having a bad day, or a great restaurant serving a crummy meal. All that means is that the creative breath hasn’t been squeezed out. It means that remarkable is still possible.
Choose remarkable, not predictable.