Jonathots Daily Blog
(2054)
Her name was Mrs. Talley.
She was my kindergarten teacher. Because our school district did not offer the class to the public, I enrolled in her private kindergarten, which was held in her home.
I learned so much from her. This delightful woman taught me how to take round-tipped scissors, cut, and then paste, color and even how to play.
Now, the second problem that is common to all of us is the overwhelming sensation that “it’s not enough.”
Once human beings insist that they’re deprived, it doesn’t take long for them to become depraved. If we’re convinced we’ve been cheated, left out or short-changed, we are willing to throw all ten commandments to the wind in order to get our fair share.
This is why you must stop yourself once you have the predilection to believe it’s not enough, and set a plan in motion which is different from “getting your due at all cost.”
To find this “good plan,” we must go back to kindergarten.
1. Cut.
In other words, if there’s not enough, is there any way we can cut our budget, diminish our need, or reassess our valuables to change our circumstances to the better? I realize this concept is foreign to both business and government, but sometimes it is possible to solve your problem by simply tightening your belt a little bit.
2. Paste.
Yes, intelligent people learn how to apologize to Peter for robbing from him because they can make a good case for helping Paul. New direction can often be found by simply putting off one piece of effort in favor of a greater necessity.
3. Color.
We are unattractive when we sit around and complain. I don’t think I would donate to a homeless person who approached me asking for funds by making the case on how he or she had been cheated.
Case in point: I once met such a person on the street who wanted to sell me a watch. He pulled it out of his dirty jacket and asked me if I would like to buy it. I admired his industrious nature and willingness to use commerce to improve his financial status, but the watch didn’t look terribly attractive displayed against his dingy coat. I told him I would give a donation if he would use part of it as an investment.
I said, “You need some color. Go to the fabric store and buy a foot of purple velvet, and when you show your watch the next time, lay it out on the purple velvet. The color will improve your possibilities.”
I don’t know if he did this or not, but I will tell you this–no one blesses someone who’s cursing.
Put a little color in your cheeks, and if you find yourself “without enough,” comb your hair, brush your teeth and put on a clean shirt if you want to improve your situation.
4. Play.
It is highly unlikely that you will be able to solve your problems by using your present resources. Even though we tend to hide out whenever we feel a lacking, the best thing to do is get around other people and open the doors to collaboration and cooperation.
I choose to become generous when I’m poor. Being generous when you’re rich is not really giving, just trimming. Reaching in your pocket and donating when you feel a little pinched yourself is allowing for men and women who see your generosity to “give back to you, good measure, pressed down and running over.”
So the next time you’re tempted to say “it’s not enough:”
- see what you can cut
- paste together resources from other places
- color your life with positive ideas
- play with others who might have an answer to your problem.
Mrs. Talley taught me a lot. I not only ended up learning how to make an elbow macaroni picture with Elmer’s glue, but also learned the basic ideas for overcoming my self-pity.
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Jonathots Daily Blog 