Now, there’s a catchphrase we’ve all heard before. It seems attached to every infomercial and radio ad that preys on our consciousness, offering so much more to come if we buy the product being touted. Not only will we get the product, but we are promised double and triple its value. By the time the announcer finishes the sentence, we tune out. Just a meaningless, cliché come-on, we know.
But wait, maybe there really is more. Perhaps there is more meaning to the phrase than we thought – if we apply it in other ways, other situations. For example:
- I just finished watching a terrific mystery show on British TV. Loved the characters. BWTM! Turns out it’s part of a long series; I can enjoy the whole thing. I love the binge and the popcorn!
- Picked up a book of stories by P.G. Wodehouse that made me laugh fifty years ago; still giggled. BWTM! Ordered a whole slew of his stories, now in the public domain, in used copies, many free on Kindle. Reading something that makes me laugh every day. It tastes better than what I was taking for laughs (medicinally, of course).
- Uh-oh! I had a fall and hurt my back. My doctor prescribed physical therapy. Three times a week for eight weeks helped a lot. BWTM! The physical therapist says I’m one of the 5 percent of his patients who continue to do the exercises a few times a week at home. I’m feeling and moving better than I did before the fall.
- Upset and depressed about injustices in the news, I went to a meeting with a neighbor about yet another local problem. At least it was an evening out. BWTM! I met some interesting people, was moved by the speaker, and decided to volunteer.
- Volunteering got me interested in seeing what effects our work was having on the problem, which made a difference in getting me out of the house and out of my routine. BWTM! The city is actually going to fix the problem, and our efforts helped make that happen. We made a difference. What a great feeling!
You get the point. Sometimes the smallest action leads to unexpected and salutary outcomes. Whatever happens in life, there is always more, even if it feels as though we’re stuck. Positive actions seem more likely to make the “more” positive, too. The “more” will always reveal something new to find, to challenge, to lead to discovering our own depths.
TR