Have you ever wondered why certain products, shows,
phrases, or ideas seemingly become overnight successes?
Something EVERYONE is talking about, buying, or has got to
have?
What sets these things apart from all the rest?
Let's take Beanie Babies for example. Remember those? I bet
you do. You probably even have a few lying around your house
somewhere, probably stuffed in a closet. Go ahead and admit
it, we won't laugh. ;)
How did a simple series of plush toys all of the sudden
become such a fad that collectors of all ages where standing
in line for hours on end, awaiting the release of special
editions? How did these $2 stuffed animals become in such
demand that they were selling via auction, on websites all
over the globe, for hundreds of dollars per item? What made
people so compulsively in love with these colorful figures
that they would fill their homes with collection after
collection?
Did the maker of Beanie Babies brainwash us with subliminal
messages hidden in a multimillion dollar advertising campaign?
The answer, of course, is no.
Beanie Babies, like so many other products and ideas that
went from unknown to mass popularity, experienced what
best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell refers to as their
Tipping Point. In his book, aptly titled The
Tipping Point, Malcolm explores the phenomenon of just
such occurrences. How certain products and ideas spread like
wildfire with others fizzle and burn out or never ignite at
all.
Similar to a virus, one infected person who contaminates
another can start an epidemic. It doesn't just spread from
person to person but rather one infected man can almost
immediately infect thousands in a single sneeze. At some point
in the spread, the virus reaches critical mass and becomes an
epidemic. Countless individuals contaminate countless more as
the cycle plays itself out.
Popular products and ideas spread in much the same way.
Sure, some are helped through clever marketing and expansive
advertising budgets but the true phenomenons are the ones
which basically soar in popularity strictly by the initial
word of mouth. While it may not be the sneeze that spreads the
infection, it most certainly is the passion and enthusiasm
from one infected person to another. Best-sellers become
best-sellers because people read a book, become inspired by
its content and go around telling others about it. Restaurant
becomes "the hot spot" because someone eats there, loves the
food and tells everyone they know. I'm sure even in the early
days of Beanie Babies that a handful of people started the
uprising of collection and trade.
So what do Beanie Babies and stories of the flu have to do
with kindness? Simple. If we become infected with kindness in
our own lives, it will spread to others. One man may
contaminate thousands with one single shift in his behavior. A
simple act of compassion, love, or patience towards someone
else may setoff a landslide effect that never was thought
possible. If you and I, and everyone reading this message were
to make a pact to live a life of Contagious Kindness,
we'd create our own Tipping Point that would set
peoples hearts and souls on fire.
It starts with you, pass it on.
