I am always fascinated by people who live, intrisically and easefully, from their strengths. I recently talked with a woman who runs a dance studio for 100+ children. She clearly loves her work, is crystal clear (and absolutely unapologetic) about her noncompetitive philosophy, and knows what works for her. Imagine, if you were doing this, all the task that would be "required" to run a studio with a full schedule of classes, a huge annual recital, a two week summer camp and special events. You'd need to maintain a web site, a good database, online registration and credit card payments and everything else needed to organize it all.
As you can imagine, these are not likely to be her strengths. She's an artist for Pete's sake! (And you'd be right.)
So guess what? There's no website (the phone book works just as well, thank you), the database is names written in a notebook, registrations are paper and pencil, and payments are cash or check please. Going on a field trip? Better see one of the volunteers, who organize the transportation, money, etc. Don't look for the teacher before the recital. She's backstage with the dancers, not out front managing the crowd.
How audacious! Who gave her permission to only do what she loves and leave the rest to others? Uh, she did. Yep, she just does it. Not very complicated. She simply focuses her attention on what she does best, does the minimum necessary on the rest, and if it must be done and it isn't her strength, she recruits folks who do it well.
Kinda ticks you off, doesn't it? Get over it. We've got a lot to learn from this remarkable woman.
(a continuing series of blogs on the nature of abundance.)
Class bigotry. That's what I call it when I discount someone's wisdom or experience because they come from an environment, history or attitude I perceive as being privileged. Even though "rich" folks have problems, I just know those problems must feel different when you can afford to hire a therapist, get a massage, buy a hot fudge sunday, call a relative who will invest in your business, whatever.
Yet it is this same feeling that can be so instructive to all of us. It does feel different to know that abundance is available to you - that's the point! The Universe is an abundant place for all of us, whether we have learned to perceive it or not. We've all seen that poor, inner city kid who seems to kn0w this to their core. They carry a confidence and faith in their future that belies the evidence to the contrary. The key to our abundance, and the key to helping challenged and challenging youth connect to their infinite possibilities, is to connect with this feeling. Connecting with our unique and enduring strengths does this. Having the opportunity to experience ourselves as competent and energized does this. And sometimes, imagining this feeling and acting "as if" allows us to finally see the abundance that, in fact, surrounds us.
So when you see those privileged people taking risks, starting businesses, serving on nonprofit boards, acting as if anything is possible, resist being a class bigot and pay attention. They don't worry about money because money has always been there. The same is true for all of us: We needn't worry about abundance because it has always been there.
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