Carlos Whitaker, the worship leader for Andy Stanley’s Buckhead Church in Atlanta, recently released his first book. The premise is very promising. You can live your life or it will live you. The choice is up to you.
Carlos sees our lives as a series of choices. We have the ability to choose to make a moment in our lives or to pass it by.
In Moment Maker, we see Carlos live out his choice to help people make moments. We see his family birthday tradition, how he made a transgender feel love and special, or how he had to rescue a beautiful moment of releasing pet butterflies with his children.
Moment Maker is full of moments that stand out as special. Moments that will touch you and show you simple ways you can leave an impression on the lives of the people you lead and do life with.
Carlos believes there are three types of moments: Created, Received, and Rescued. Knowing these three types of moments, you can begin to live a moment-making life where you can greatly influence others.
Created Moments
Created moments are, simply enough, moments where you create the moment. You design a special birthday party. You create a romantic engagement proposal. You rescue a pet fish from your broken down car.
Or, as a leader, you create a special award ceremony for the team members who have been trying hard and seeing improvement. You create a project the whole team can rally around. You create an atmosphere of excitement.
Created moments are something you plan and execute upon. They don’t just happen. They take planning and time.
Received Moments
Received moments are different than created moments. Received moments are moments that just kind of happen. And you’re there to experience the action.
Sometimes it’s silly how received moments happen. You’re sitting there, minding your own business, when someone, out of nowhere, needs your help. And you’re able to provide a sense of peace or healing or hope to the person.
Carlos shares his story of an airplane flight and an unhappy passenger that became a Received Moment.
Leaders may become aware of received moments in other ways:
The staff member who lost a loved one and needs the comfort of his leader
The opportunity to hold a team member accountable for poor performance but grace is shown instead
The church member who, out of the blue, decides he wants to receive Christ. And you’re the one he approaches
Received moments aren’t planned. They just happen. You’re in the drivers seat and responsible for receiving the moment or not.
Rescued Moments
Lastly, there are Rescued Moments. These are the moments that were screwed up. Something went wrong. And you know it.
However, screwed up moments can be rescued. That’s where rescued moments come into play.
When things go sideways, there’s still hope for a recovery. Don’t doubt it.
You may lose it with a co-worker and rip their head off. Afterwards, you know what you did was wrong. Instead of tucking your tail between your legs, you scrounge up the courage and apologize. You rescue the moment.
A deadline may have been missed with an important client. They’re hot and frustrated with your apparent lack of concern. You come and rescue the moment by showing the customer how much you care, going above and beyond the call of duty.
Rescued moments are awesome because there’s a save involved. You take the time to make things right, even with the possibility of the other person not accepting the rescue.
That’s okay though. Sometimes the rescue isn’t for the other party. Sometime the rescue is for you.
A Moment Maker’s Moment
One of the last things Carlos shares in Moment Maker is the story of God Of Second Chances and his meeting with Danny. It’s a beautiful story and moment that was captured on film. Here’s what happened.
My Thoughts On Moment Maker
There’s a lot to take away from Moment Maker. We’re all able to make moments, if we’re willing. And that’s what I got out of the book.
We’ve got to look for the opportunity to make moments. If we don’t, life is going to pass you by. You’re going to wonder why life is so bland and boring. It’s because you’re not looking for those special moments.
With that said, Moment Maker did leave me feeling a little wanting. I’ve been processing my thoughts as to why since I’ve finished reading Moment Maker but I can’t place my finger on the reason. Maybe it’s the fact I haven’t been living a life of moment making.
This doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend the book. On the contrary, I think it’s a valuable read and everyone can take something away after finishing the book.
I’d suggest this book to anyone who’s looking for a new way of making moments. Or for the person looking to make a moment that’s special for others.
If it sounds like something that interests you, you can pick up the book at Amazon.
Question: What are you doing to make defining moments in the lives of those you lead? Please share what you’re doing in the comment section below.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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