3 Seconds

As is evidenced from this blog, I enjoy the writings of Les and Leslie Parrott, so I was interested when I came across 3 Seconds, by half of the Parrotts (Les). This book gives the other side of the story to Malcolm Gladwell's Blink (an excellent book in its own right). Whereas Mr. Gladwell speaks of the power of making decisions without thinking, Dr. Parrott discusses the power of thinking twice.
I have to admit, I am not one much for motivational business books, but I found this little book to be quite inspiring. Dr. Parrott suggests that our initial impulse isn't always the correct one, or the best one. But by giving a decision a second thought, we can make much more of a difference, in our homes, jobs, and communities.
One of the stories Dr. Parrott recounts is of a business trip he made. He arrived at the gate the monitor said was bound for Minneapolis, but the board at that gate read Denver. He approaches the attendant and he says in a annoyed voice that there is nothing that he can do about changing the sign, but yes, this is the gate for Minneapolis. Apparently many of the people waiting had asked the same question and were treated with the same rudeness. The second attendant came and was told what everyone waiting knew and thought about the situation for a moment and took out a pice of notebook paper and wrote "Minneapolis" on it in marker and taped it over the "Denver" sign. The whole waiting area cheered.
This is a story of "can-do" mentality. Whether you should walk the extra mile, fuel your passion, take ownership of your situation, or embrace a challenge, giving a second thought can motivate you to get going. Doing those things is not taking the easy road, but it is the road to greater impact and significance. It is also the way of Jesus. Jesus embraced a challenge, walked the extra mile, did "whatever it takes".
Dr. Parrott uses a wealth of stories and his easy to read writing style to motivate readers to also move from "whatever" to "whatever it takes."