Popcorn!

‘Smiles R Contagious’ #Learnedman

Let’s talk about popcorn.

Before we dive in, let me take you to a moment from earlier today. I was with a client and tossed out a random question: “What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I say ‘popcorn’?” Without hesitation, they said, “The movies and being a kid.” I smiled and told them, “That’s perfect—hold on to that thought.”Because that moment? That feeling? It’s exactly where we’re headed.

Because honestly, popcorn is more than a snack—it’s a story.

See, popcorn doesn’t start off fluffy and light. It begins as a simple kernel of corn—hard, small, unassuming. But inside that little kernel is something powerful. Potential. Possibility. Promise.

But it will stay just that—potential—unless it’s willing to go through the process. That’s the truth about becoming popcorn.

You can’t just be it. You have to go through something.

Popcorn becomes popcorn because of pressure and heat—that unavoidable moment of tension and intensity that forces it to expand, change form, and become something greater than what it was. The outside breaks open, and the inside shows up. What once seemed rigid or stuck bursts into lightness, joy, and flavor.

Back in the day, I would’ve had to dust off the Encyclopedia Britannica just to wrap up this blog—because yes, we’re talking science. But here’s the beauty of it: in scientific terms, popcorn undergoes a compound transformation. Inside each kernel, the starch gelatinizes, moisture builds, pressure rises—and then? Boom. A pop. A shift. A becoming. Not just different, but elevated. More delightful. More noticeable. More impactful. It’s what we crave at the movies for a reason—it’s transformation you can taste.

That’s how living is, too.

We all start as something basic—raw talent, undeveloped dreams, untested ideas, untouched potential. But life turns on the heat. And we’re faced with a choice:

Stay the corn, or become the popcorn.

Remaining the corn is safe. Unpopped, you won’t risk burning. You won’t risk breaking open. But you also won’t transform. You won’t rise. You won’t become the version of you that people celebrate, savor, and remember.

Becoming popcorn means growing through what you go through.

Yes, it gets uncomfortable.

Yes, it takes energy.

Yes, sometimes it feels like everything’s about to explode.

But on the other side? It’s you—elevated.

You, evolved.

You, ready.

You, beautiful.

So if the pressure’s on, if the temperature is rising in your life, don’t panic. You might just be in your popping season.

Let it work.

Let it shift you.

Let it turn you into what you were always meant to be.

Not just corn.

Popcorn.