What Are You Arguing For?

In case you missed it, I am on a crusade to fire up your natural creativity.  What finally set my torch ablaze to take up this mission was hearing yet one more person state with conviction, almost with pride, “I’m not creative”.

“I love what you do but I can’t draw.”

“My sister/brother/parent/friend is SO creative.  I’m just not.”

“I don’t have a creative bone in my body.”

“I can’t draw a straight line.”  (Uh, no one can without a ruler.)

“You don’t want me to sing.  Trust me.”

“I can’t dance.  I have two left feet.”

What do you hear in these statements? Pre-emptive self-deprecation? I’ll judge myself before you can?

What I hear is an argument for limitation.  These statements are all based on the assumption that if you don’t think you’re good at something you shouldn’t do it – at least not out loud or where anyone can see you.  I don’t want you to see me stumbling, fumbling or bumbling so I’ll just sit over here quietly in the corner and wait.

What I also hear is an abdication of responsibility.  If I don’t express my natural creativity – in whatever way that shows up – I get to stay in the safety zone.  I don’t have to participate, contribute, or be at risk of criticism.  What this looks like is waiting for someone else to fix what only you can see.

This is a victim stance.  Someone else is responsible to create, imagine, dream, and figure things out. Much safer to sit on the sidelines and observe or judge those who are out there giving it their all.  If they fail, I can wipe a hand over my brow: “Whew, I’m glad that wasn’t me.”

On a good day I have tremendous compassion for people who think this way.  Other days it irritates the bejeezus out of me.

This used to be me. While longing for more meaning and zest in my life I clung to the safe and mediocre in the fear of looking stupid or failing.

Once upon a time I didn’t think I could draw.  Amusingly, I’ve made a great living drawing conversations in front of large groups of people.  Guess I was wrong about that one.  I’ve been wrong about a lot of my other limiting beliefs as well.

What changed that enabled this miraculous transformation in my life?  My thinking.  I shifted from a focus on limitation to a focus on possibility.

Change your thinking, change your life.  – Perennial Wisdom

The slightest shift can make a seismic difference.  Since we are naturally wired and enculturated to track what is wrong, this shift takes work.  We get more of what we pay attention to.  Energy follows attention.

When you decrease your focus on what is wrong … and increase your focus on what is right … you build enthusiasm and energy, strengthen relationships, and move people and productivity to the next level.  –Kathryn Cramer and Hank Wasiak

Why do I even care about this?  I’m bored.  I’m bored with people who argue for why they can’t/won’t/don’t, while waiting for someone else to fix what they are unhappy with.  I’m bored with people who collude in the “ain’t it awful” conversation.  It’s a waste of time, energy, creativity and the gifts God gave you.

I hate waste.  I hate thinking that the key to our joy and the solutions that will benefit the greater good are wasting away because we’re in the wrong conversation.

What are you arguing for — your gifts or your limitations?  Your choice.

RESOURCES

Change the Way You See Everything by Kathryn D. Cramer and Hank Wasiak

The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander