Humans disappoint you. They don’t live up to your expectations. Sure you have high standards. But you’re not asking all that much, right? If people just tried harder, they could accomplish quite a lot.
Couldn’t they?
Not just relatives and friends. Not just politicians and educators. But others. Contractors, internet providers, artists, activists, doctors, celebrities and psychotherapists. Disappointing.
What is wrong with humans? Don’t they care about quality? Excellence? Compassion?
Now, I don’t actually know all humans. But I’m guessing that most of them do care. That said, here are some things that you need to know.
When you have a rainforest mind, you have many abilities. A large capacity for learning and a love of knowledge. You may know a lot, in multiple fields; sometimes more than the “experts.” You can also have exceptionally high standards for your work. Producing quality is part of your identity. Being fair and compassionate matters to you. And all of this feels normal. Isn’t everyone like this?
No. Everyone is not like this.
You may not have any training in home building but you may know that your contractor’s plan for your family room will not work. You may not have a medical degree but you may know that your cardiologist is not seeing the whole picture. You may never have run a nonprofit but in two weeks you could set up a system that would provide for much greater efficiency and productivity. You may not have a psychology degree but you’re a better counselor than your psychotherapy-trained coworkers.
People tell you that you expect too much. That you need to be satisfied with less. That mediocrity is good enough. That you’re an overachiever and an arrogant know-it-all. That you need to “shut up and sing…” (to quote a powerful song from the Dixie Chicks)
These messages and experiences can make you feel a little crazy. A little less than. Maybe a lot less than. Lonely. A little too responsible.
Or you may wonder how to live your best life when people you’d like to depend upon keep dropping the ball.
You’re tired of always picking up the balls.
So darned many balls.
But your family, your community and your world needs you. Your excellence. Your quality. Your compassion. Now, more than ever.*
So you can still sing. Definitely sing.
But don’t shut up.
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To my dearest bloggEEs: How do you deal with this? Are you tired of juggling all the balls? Are there ways you take care of yourself when you feel discouraged or exhausted? Are there people that you’ve found who will show up for you? Where have you found others with rainforest minds? Can you allow yourself to acknowledge your limits and create a healthy balance? This blog post is just the beginning of the discussion. We need to hear from you!
*That said, repeat after me: I am not responsible for everyone’s dropped balls.
Thank you to the bloggEE who suggested this topic.
Here’s the story behind the Dixie Chicks’ song.
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