My 2 year old walked by with a ear to ear grin on his face and a big red bouncy ball in his hands. He’s still getting his words, but I could tell from his expression what he was thinking, “Watch This Magic Trick!”
The magic trick, the thing that brought absolute wonder to his eyes and an expectation that I would marvel at his ability, was throwing the ball. He proceeded to throw the big red bouncy ball across the room and then laugh and giggle at how amazing it was. The follow on look in his eyes and the happy sounds from his mouth, stated clearly, “Did you See That? That was Amazing!!!”
It put a smile on my face to see so much joy and wonder. But it also gave me pause. What amazing thing do I do, that I no longer consider amazing?
I’ve thrown a ball recently, and I was pretty non-plused. But when I look back at all the hours and hours of practice I’ve had throwing a ball, I should be pretty impressed. I have fallen into a common trap that catches all of us, diminishing returns. “Yes, congratulations Kevin, you can throw a ball. You could throw a ball yesterday. What new thing can you do?”
In always seeking the new and exciting, we lose sight of the old and valuable.
What you can do today, is amazing. What you are already capable of would marvel any 2 year old. And, if you take a step back and view yourself from the outside, you should be able to take a deep breath of amazement and say “Wow, look at me go!”
So, as we are currently in the holiday season of giving, I invite you to give yourself a break. You kinda rock!
Namaste,
Kevin
