In the Food Network show Chopped, chefs compete to cook the best dish based on a basket of mystery ingredients. Just before contestants present their first dish to the judges, they must answer the question:
What would it mean for you to win?
The winner gets $10,000, but winning Chopped means so much more than money. This is the story element of the show.
Each chef is playing for something personal to them. Some play in hopes of winning seed money for a new venture. Some play to prove something to themselves, to family, or even to an entire culture. Some want to pay a sibling’s medical bills, take a long-delayed honeymoon, or travel to see a special family member.
And so, the drama of the show is not only about whether these chefs can make something amazing from a basket of random ingredients. It’s about hopes and dreams, family quarrels, breaking barriers.
We could learn a lot from these Chopped contestants.
We are more than what we do, more than the methods we use, or the ingredients we’re delt.
The missing piece in some of our stories is this “what does it mean?” element. There is much to gain, and much to lose in your mission:
- What does it mean to win? If you’re funded and the mission succeeds?
- Conversely, what happens if your mission is not funded?
When you share about your mission, show us what is at stake. Who is affected? What changes, and what does your “win” make possible?
Listen to more about this on my podcast…
Keep telling great stories!
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Kay Helm
I help missionaries and organizations tell powerful and effective stories that inspire action.
Mission Writers | Life and Mission Podcast
P.S. Season 8, Ep 5 (full episode) of Chopped is a favorite. You can see the dramatic ending here.