The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines into Massive Success and Happiness

Olson defines five areas of happiness: personal development, health, relationships, finances, and impact. Olson says he didn’t understand until he realized how self-centered other aspects of happiness tend to be and became aware of the profound nature of legacy. His daughter, Amber Olson Rourke, shares her story growing up with the slight edge. She tells an anecdote about Will Smith, who was tasked as a 12-year-old to rebuild a brick wall with his nine-year-old brother. Even though he thought it was impossible, they managed to rebuild the whole wall, one brick at a time, learning that with consistent daily action, anything is possible. This attitude is one that Amber learned from her parents. Because of the way they regularly and positively interacted with their work lives around her as a child, she too developed a positive attitude about work, even working at a management level in an office while in high school. This experience taught her that, even when she wasn’t the most talented in the room, she could succeed with determination and consistency. She gathered stories from people positively affected by her father’s work on the slight edge and developed a new core idea: the ripple effect a life can have on others. Amber decided to take this idea and turn it into a social media platform called “MyRipple,” which she merged with a new business venture to see her vision come to life.

Amber acknowledges her privilege in growing up around the slight edge, and as a result, has strived to focus on the impact portion of happiness. She shares these ideas with teenagers through a book written for them with practical exercises and real stories. She believes strongly in the ripple effect and what good young people can do to improve the world. Whether someone is aware of it or not, they have a ripple effect on others around them and, consequently, the world at large. This can be positive or negative, so she stresses the importance of reflection and intention. She then shares the story of her mother, who has built a legacy on forming personal relationships with people and trying to have a positive impact on their lives, no matter how small. She stresses the importance of real, consistent effort, especially with raising children to ensure they too can lead a life using the slight edge. Olson closes the chapter with gratitude to his daughter. Even with every success he has had, he sees Amber as his greatest success of all: his ripple effect.

The chapter closes with a link to post positive improvements on social media, as well as a personal story from a football player in New Jersey who lost his way. As part of the team that won the Super Bowl, the football player found himself resting on his laurels; when he began to work toward personal development, he implemented the slight edge and began to lead a happier life. The key points from this chapter include the concept of impact, the duty of sharing success and positivity with others, and the need to reflect on the ripple effects created by attitudes and actions.

When Olson has shared the story about the twins and the penny that doubled, he often receives amazed feedback that someone could start with nothing and build something so incredible. Olson argues that it is impossible to start with nothing; whatever a person has may be small, but it’s not insignificant. Success always starts somewhere, like the way Facebook, a billion-dollar company, was born of a college prank. He tells the story of Steven King’s Carrie, which King nearly tossed out but didn’t because his wife found it and insisted he had something important. He also points to Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks, whose arrest resulted in the formation of an organization that elected Martin Luther King, Jr., as a spokesperson.

A penny is a catalyst, a small but significant action that yields more actions. Although it’s unlikely finances will double nightly, the idea of doubling a penny is achievable and applicable as a metaphor to doubling other areas of happiness. A penny, 1% of a dollar, a day for a year yields 365%, or three and a half times, as much as the original amount. In all domains, like health and relationships, this tripling of success and happiness is possible. Olson argues that these areas are affected by “compound interest” because growth enables growth. To illustrate this idea, Olson introduces the idea of the butterfly effect, which is how one small action can lead to a whole sequence of actions. He gives the example of how one surgeon’s insistence on washing his hands in the 1800s when delivering babies saved so many lives, as previously, handwashing hadn’t been a practice, which meant bacteria killed many women and children. He also analyzes this idea using the film It’s a Wonderful Life, in which a man learns of the profound impact his seemingly insignificant life has had on others. Olson stresses the importance of small things because every little action matters.

There are two personal stories in this chapter. The first is from a man from Chicago who had a stroke and applied the slight edge to go beyond his diagnosis of never being able to walk again. Eventually, he made a full recovery, The second discusses a businessman from Florida, who had to bounce back through small, daily steps after losing everything when his accountant embezzled money. The key points from this chapter include the significance of small starts, the impact of adding 1% to anything over time, and the way greatness is attainable through daily decisions.