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Welcome to The Brighter Side of Everything.
This newsletter serves a simple purpose → To help you build optimism, resilience and a solution-focused perspective.
Each week, I’ll share actionable insights that not only brighten your day but position you to be a leader within your own life and seize life’s opportunities.
Read time: 15-20 minutes.
Sometimes … it’s Ok to Lie - Trust, intention and the power of surprise.
Bright Reads - Quick links to fun or insightful articles.
Bill Bryson - Finding wonder in the ordinary.
Bookmarks - A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.
A Bright Idea to Consider - Turn frustration into fascination.
A Previous Post - We are all human.
Positively Hilarious - Smile like you mean it.
Daily Gratitude Journal - Transform your daily routine through reflection.
Hello, Brighter Side readers! ☀️
I hope you enjoyed your weekend.
This week is a fun mix of stories I think you’ll enjoy.
We start with a personal confession about lying to my wife (don’t worry, all for a good cause).
Followed by a spotlight on the brilliant Bill Bryson, one of the wittiest, most curious writers of our time.
I also share one of his books that’s well worth adding to your shelf, pure Bryson magic.
Thanks for taking the time to read along each week, your support means the world.
Have a great week!
See you on the Brighter Side,
Chris
P.S. Please feel free to send me feedback on how I can improve. I respond to every email.
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Integrity plays a key role in any strong and long-lasting relationship.
Relationships that are built on honest, open and effective communication, last.
Those that don’t, don’t.
My wife and I have spent over fifteen years building a marriage grounded in that belief.
No secrets, no guesswork, no emotional red tape.
We talk about everything.
The good, the bad and sometimes the absurd and ugly.
It’s the reason our connection remains what it is today.
And yet, this year, I lied to her.
Not once or twice.
Probably close to a thousand times.
Before you question my intentions, let me clarify.
They weren’t the trust-breaking kind.
They were small, white, tactical ones.
All strung together in the name of love.
The Idea
My wife turned 50 this year.
And while she isn’t someone who craves the spotlight.
She’s the kind of person who deserves it.
She’s quietly brilliant, deeply kind and selfless to the core.
The kind of person who embodies compassion, presence and humility.
The very traits I often write about.
So I made her a promise to celebrate properly.
A January holiday in Sri Lanka (where her mother was born) with her whole family.
Time in the sun.
Delicious food.
A few adventures.
Beautiful moments that will fill her memory bank.
This meant her actual birthday was left wide open.
And that’s where an idea was born.
I wanted to do something special.
Something immediate and unforgettable.
So I started the conversation quietly.
A few calls.
A couple of messages to close friends.
Testing if a surprise party was even possible.
What followed was overwhelming.
They didn’t just like the idea.
They were all in.
Friends across Canada rearranged schedules.
Her brother even agreed to fly in from Singapore.
Suddenly, I wasn’t planning a small dinner.
I was running a covert operation.
I created a secret communication chat and named it “The Baseball Chat.”
Knowing full well, that if she ever saw it, she’d scroll right past.
Baseball ranks extremely low on her “things worth reading” list.
Phase one complete.
“Honesty is a gift we can give to one another. It is in love that we are made true.”
The Plan (and the lies)
We locked in the Friday before her birthday as ‘the‘ party night.
Covering my tracks with two believable decoys.
A quiet family dinner planned on the Saturday, along with dinner/show plans on her actual birthday.
To her, the schedule looked full.
To me, it was pure misdirection.
And that’s when the lying began.
Little things at first.
Text messages I couldn’t show her.
Phone calls I couldn’t explain.
Hiding my phone screen when she peeked over.
Conveniently vague answers like, “Oh, it’s just work stuff.”
The guilt built up quickly.
Hiding something from the person who knows me best felt wrong.
Even when the reason felt right.
There were nights when my stomach turned, wondering if this whole secret would somehow backfire.
But every time I hesitated, I remembered the goal.
Not to deceive her.
To delight her.
The Buildup
From there, the plan grew layers.
Catering and décor.
Places for people to sleep.
Arrival times.
Whether to tell the kids.
What to tell the kids.
Friends and family from across the globe who were unable to attend sent video messages that we edited into one long birthday reel.
Every new detail meant another opportunity to slip up.
A stray text.
A notification spotted.
One misplaced comment over breakfast could ruin months of preparation.
There’s a special kind of tension in lying to someone you love.
You feel both thrilled and awful at the same time.
But the closer we got, the bigger the excitement became.
We weren’t just planning a birthday anymore.
We were planning the kind of night that tells a person, in one special evening:
How loved they truly are.
“The best things in life are unexpected - because there were no expectations.”
The Big Night
Before I knew it, the date arrived.
A close friend took her out for dinner while a bunch of us completed the setup.
Fast forward two hours and we have forty people filling the kitchen.
Lights off, whispers buzzing.
Ok, they’re 2 minutes away!
Then we hear the front door click.
She steps inside, mid-conversation, completely unaware.
“Surprise!”
For a split second, her face froze.
Like her brain needed a moment to process the noise.
Then it all happened at once.
Shock, confusion, disbelief and laughter that quickly melted into tears.
She stood still for a moment.
Absorbing it all.
Then made her way to the closest person and started hugging.
One after another.
Every few hugs came her signature reaction.
“What are you doing here?!”
Then another.
“What are YOU doing here?!”
It was perfect.
Then at the back of the room, her brother stepped forward.
You could feel the room collectively exhale, and then cheer.
At that moment, every ounce of secrecy, guilt and nervous energy was now worth it.
For the next few hours, she floated.
Talking, laughing, crying.
Absolutely radiant.
For someone who claims she doesn’t like attention.
She wore it beautifully.
The Morning After
When the world was quiet again, she looked at me with a small, amused smile.
“Am I in trouble?” I asked.
“Not at all”, she replied.
Those words carried everything.
Forgiveness, understanding and maybe even admiration that I’d actually pulled it off.
Maybe.
We laughed about it.
She replayed her reactions on video, shaking her head.
Later, she said something that stuck with me.
“I feel loved”.
And that right there was what the whole thing was about.
We never had our family dinner.
She spent the day with close friends brunching and at the spa.
Soaking up the time she had with them.
I’m immensely grateful to each of them for not only making the effort and helping organise the perfect moment.
But encouraging me to make it happen.
Good people deserve good things.
And they stepped up.
What It Taught Me
1. Long-term trust creates room for these moments: Our relationship works because we’ve built upon years of honesty. That’s what made this secret possible (and forgivable).
2. Motivation matters more than mechanics: If your words are guided by love and lead to joy, you’re not breaking trust. You’re reinforcing it.
3. Surprises are acts of service: They take effort, coordination and sometimes a thousand little fibs, but the emotional payoff is bigger than any gift.
4. Love breaks its own rules in beautiful ways: And when it does, it reminds us that the goal isn’t perfection. It’s connection.
My Takeaway
That night made me rethink honesty.
Because while being truthful will always be the backbone of our relationship, I realised something else too.
Sometimes, honesty is about intention, not disclosure.
Integrity means doing what strengthens your connection.
Even if it means bending the rules of transparency once in a while.
There’s a kind of lie that nourishes.
A lie born not from deceit or avoidance, but from love and care.
That kind of lie doesn’t weaken a relationship.
It deepens it.
Maybe honesty is the key to a lasting marriage.
But every so often, it’s okay to lie.
Especially when it helps someone you love feel truly seen.
So yes, I lied to my wife.
A thousand small times.
And if I could go back, I’d do it all again.
Without hesitation.
Because sometimes, the truest thing you can do is tell a lie that leads someone to joy.
“The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.”
50 cent - adjusted for inflation.
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Bill Bryson - Born 8th December 1951 - Des Moines, Iowa, USA
If curiosity had a sense of humor, it would sound a lot like Bill Bryson.
The British-American author has spent the past four decades proving that knowledge doesn’t have to feel heavy and that laughter can be the quickest route to understanding.
Whether he’s lost on a hiking trail in A Walk in the Woods, elbow-deep in the mysteries of the universe in A Short History of Nearly Everything, or obsessing over the quirks of British life in Notes from a Small Island.
Bryson has made a career out of showing that the world (no matter how ordinary it seems) is endlessly astonishing.
He operates from an internal mantra that we should all approach life with curiosity and a sense of wonder.
Finding joy in the small details and laughing at the unexpected.
Laugh first, learn always.
“But that’s the glory of foreign travel, as far as I am concerned… Suddenly you are five years old again. You can’t read anything; you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.”
The Art of Observation
Bryson’s genius lies in how he pays attention.
Most writers describe a place.
Bryson dissects it.
With affection, frustration and plenty of wit.
His style blends dry self-deprecation with meticulous research, it’s almost as though David Attenborough and a stand-up comedian took a road trip together.
He’s not afraid to be the fool in his own stories, a characteristic that will always serve you well.
Moments like misreading a map, offending a local, or marveling at how complicated a light switch can be abroad all make him feel relatable and genuine.
Underneath the humour, though, sits something deeper.
Bryson notices what others miss.
The quiet efficiency of a shopkeeper, the wonder hidden in a museum label, the marvel of human absurdity.
Every line is like an invitation to look closer.
Through him, the world becomes both funnier and infinitely more accessible.
Curiosity as a Compass
Bryson grew up in Iowa, spent decades in England, and has somehow managed to belong everywhere and nowhere.
Travel, for him, was never about collecting countries.
No one cares how many countries you’ve been to.
They care about the experiences you’ve had, the lessons you’ve learned and the stories you share.
True travel involves immersing yourself in the culture, understanding the history and appreciating the beauty of everyday life in different parts of the world.
For Bryson, travel is about collecting questions.
“We are all driven by curiosity,” he once said.
“It’s not really a skill that makes me special. It comes naturally if we just take the time to act on it.”
In his bestselling book A Short History of Nearly Everything, his curiosity turned scientific.
He tackled the biggest questions in physics, chemistry and biology.
Not as an expert, but as a bewildered student learning out loud.
Readers loved that about him.
He demystified the universe without dumbing it down, reminding us that asking “why?” is so much wiser than pretending we already know.
It’s easy to forget that behind every Bryson book is a trail of lost luggage, missed trains and unplanned detours.
But that’s exactly where his insights are born.
In frustration.
In awe.
And in the messy business of being human.
His curiosity isn’t sterile.
It’s lived-in.
It’s the kind that finds beauty in confusion and meaning in mishaps.
“There are three stages in scientific discovery. First, people deny that it is true, then they deny that it is important; finally they credit the wrong person.”
Lessons from Bill Bryson
Stay amused by the world: Humour dissolves tension and keeps perspective in check. It’s so much easier to understand life when you’re willing to smile at its oddities rather than be worn down by them.
Ask the “dumb” questions: The smartest voices often belong to people unafraid to sound naive. Bryson built entire books on curiosity, turning “why” and “how” into sparks that lead to genuine understanding.
Observe before you comment: His writing shows that paying attention is an act of respect. Observation deepens empathy. It helps us see how much there is to admire in everyday life once we stop trying to rush or react.
Don’t fear the detour: Whether a wrong turn or a misstep, Bryson finds that detours reveal the best stories. It’s proof that getting lost isn’t a failure. It’s where resilience, humour, and the best stories are born.
Find connection in confusion: He often admits when he’s baffled by people, places, or customs but leans into that discomfort. When he does so, he turns confusion into curiosity and unfamiliarity into connection.
My Takeaway
Bill Bryson’s work is a quiet rebellion against cynicism.
He teaches us that wonder is something you practice.
His stories remind us that the ordinary offers more magic than you think, but only if we slow down long enough to meet it with curiosity instead of complaint.
His brilliant mix of humour, intellect and humility is disarming.
He doesn’t lecture.
He invites you to walk beside him, to marvel, to laugh and occasionally to trip over your own feet.
In doing so, he turns every reader into a student of the everyday.
So this week, take a page from Bryson’s playbook.
Let yourself be amused rather than annoyed.
Ask the extra question.
Miss the turn and take the long way.
You might not end up where you meant to go, but you’ll definitely end up with a story worth telling.
“Bill Bryson is the rare writer who can make you laugh until you ache while teaching you more than any university course.”
Want to learn more about Bill and hear some of his hilarious stories? Check out this video (it’s a bit longer at 38 minutes), but well worth your time:
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I first read A Short History of Nearly Everything over 20 years ago.
I was backpacking my way across Asia and Europe, a very different time well before podcasts or easy internet answers.
That weathered, dog-eared copy barely survived countless planes, trains and tuk-tuks.
I didn’t realise it back then, but Bryson’s words were quietly shaping something in me.
A lifelong curiosity I’ll always be grateful for.
Revisiting it now, decades later, feels like catching up with an old travel mate who still knows how to surprise me.
Why It’s Worth Your Time
If science can seem dry or distant to you, this book is the antidote.
Bryson somehow takes the entire history of the universe (from the big bang to the human brain) and weaves it into a story that’s fascinating, funny and humbling.
You learn about chemists lighting themselves on fire in the name of discovery.
Atoms that give an element its identity and electrons its personality.
And the sheer luck that keeps our planet spinning just as we need it to survive.
Whether you read it in bursts or get lost for hours, it never stops highlighting how much there is to learn.
And most importantly, how joyfully Bryson invites you along.
What Makes It Stand Out
Bryson’s genius lies in making the incomprehensible feel familiar.
He doesn’t just give us facts.
He tells the stories of the quirky and sometimes reckless people who uncovered them.
Newton poking his eye with a needle just to “see what would happen” is as much a lesson about human curiosity as it is about physics.
He reminds us that all life is connected.
“About half the chemical functions that take place in a banana are the same as in you”
Which, let’s be honest, makes you look at a piece of fruit differently.
It’s science, yes, but told with the wide-eyed wonder of a 7 year old (and a wink).
Practical Lessons from A-S-H-O-N-E
Curiosity keeps us alive: Asking questions is what propels discovery. From how volcanoes form to why we’re even here. It’s a reminder that questions matter WAAAAYYY more than perfect answers.
We’re impossibly lucky: As Bryson writes, “To attain any kind of life in this universe of ours appears to be quite an achievement.” Understanding how fragile and improbable our existence is makes every day feel like a small miracle.
Science is gloriously human: Every experiment and discovery has a story. The failures, rivalries and strokes of brilliance. It makes you realise science isn’t an abstract pursuit. It’s creativity in a lab coat.
Appreciation deepens the ordinary: By the time you reach the last page, you’ll never look at the night sky, a pebble, or even a drop of water quite the same way again. Wonder isn’t a rarity, it’s just that too many of us fail to slow down and notice.
My Takeaway
Reading this book years ago helped me see the world with new eyes.
Reading it again reminded me why that curiosity has stuck.
It’s part travel journal, part crash course in existence and part love letter to human persistence.
Bryson turns science into a story we all belong in.
Showing that awe doesn’t end when you grow up, it just waits patiently for you to pick it back up
Some books entertain you.
Some educate you.
This one does both.
Then quietly changes how you look at your place in the world.
Two decades later, I’m still grateful for that dog-eared copy that made me fall in love with asking questions.
Have you ever read something that changed how you see the world?
I’d love to hear what lit that spark for you.
Because, as Bryson proves, curiosity is one of the best travel companions you can have.
“Extraordinarily readable and endlessly interesting, this is popular science writing at its very best - rich in detail, wry in tone, and packed with wonder. Bryson makes even the most complex ideas accessible and engaging, turning the story of creation into one continuous adventure of curiosity.”
Got a recommendation?
Please share; I'm always keen for great suggestions.
This idea isn’t just clever.
It’s life-changing.
We all hit those moments when life throws a wrench in our plans.
A slow checkout line, technology that just won’t cooperate.
Or yet another spilt drink.
I used to let these things derail my mood, but have found if I look for the lesson (or the humour) right then and there.
Those little frustrations almost shrink away completely.
Don’t get me wrong.
Shifting from frustration to fascination doesn’t involve glossing over problems.
It’s about turning life’s headaches into opportunities or even a reason to smile.
Go Deeper
Frustration is natural, but it will usually just make the day feel heavier.
Fascination, on the other hand.
Opens the door to learning and maybe even laughing about what’s going on.
Whenever I catch myself about to get wound up, I try to ask: “Isn’t that interesting - what’s this trying to teach me?”
Sometimes that question alone is enough to turn an annoying moment into a funny story.
In the end, switching gears like this makes life feel a whole lot lighter.
And helps make the trickiest days much less overwhelming.
Practical Steps
Here’s how to practice turning frustration into fascination this week:
Spot the trigger: Notice the next moment you get frustrated and pause.
Ask a curious question: “What’s really going on here?” or “Is this a chance to spot something I’ve missed?”
Reframe the story: Imagine you’re a detective or a comedian. What can I find funny or quirky here?
Share your discovery: If you find a lesson or a laugh, pass it along. Sharing keeps the habit going. Smiles break frustration.
Celebrate your shift: Every time you catch yourself swapping frustration for fascination, give yourself credit. It’s a skill you can really improve with practice!
My Takeaway
Honestly, by finding the brighter side in life’s sticky moments, I’ve managed to remove frustration from the majority of my days.
Not every situation will change instantly.
But nearly every one becomes a little easier, lighter and more interesting.
Why not try it this week?
Turn something that normally bugs you into a mini-adventure or a story to laugh about later.
Because when you meet life’s challenges with curiosity instead of frustration.
Even the rough patches can become something you’re genuinely glad you didn’t miss.
“Be curious. Not furious.”
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