Own It Before You Give It Away
Women are natural caretakers conducting their lives like a
maestro conducts a symphony. They share
resources and give suggestions in order to be helpful to others. This generosity of spirit often touches my
heart as I listen to clients, friends and family members describe their multiple
acts of kindness. What women hasn’t said
at one time or another, “I’ve got to tell so and so about this”? As wonderful as this gift is, women in their
desire to be helpful can give away ideas and resources before they have had a
chance to use these suggestions for their own growth. I think that suggestions fall into different
categories; generic suggestions are things such as passing information on about
a great sale at a favorite store or a heads up regarding a road slowdown, while
personal suggestions are ideas or resources that one needs for their own
growth. When a woman gives away a personal suggestion
before she has fully applied it to her own life, it’s like stopping an
antibiotic before the pills have run out, you only get a partial treatment so
the infection is likely to reoccur. For
example, a woman who is having difficulty in a friendship comes across a CD
that discusses the landscape of female friendships. She purchases the CD, puts it in her car so
she can listen to it as she drives and tells all her female friends about the
CD. After all, she knows that many of
her friends are going through similar issues. She is so busy taking care of her friends that she has left little time
to deeply listen to the CD, apply it to her own life and make the necessary
changes to the friendship that feels troubling. This is where OWN IT BEFORE YOU GIVE IT AWAY comes into play. It’s important and okay to keep ideas,
suggestions and resources to oneself
until it has settled inside like a good friend. Then when you share your find you will also share your wisdom with an energy
that is self-loving and other-loving.
