Oh my! So many of us are vigilant with watching for situations to enrich ourselves financially. On the surface nothing “wrong” with that. We might ask ourselves “Is that the way to get the most satisfaction in the flow?” Let’s be awake to appreciating life and making the most of opportunities for growth!! Let’s be watching daily for ways to have fun!
Example One
Three people are hanging out on the beach. Ted, an artist, is the boyfriend of Margaret. With them is a friend Zelda. Ted finds out that Zelda is also an artist. He shoots out, “Ya sell much?” Zelda responds, “What’s it to you?” Ted’s mind is on the financial rumination. For Zelda she relishes the fun of expressing herself and of sharing that with others in art exhibitions. She batted away a comment that sounded competitive.
Example Two
Rhona has volunteered at the community center in various capacities over the last year. When the annual fundraiser organizer stepped into the job, she asks Rhona if she could handle the decorations for this year. “Sure I can assist with that,” replies R.
Rhona takes on the job, a lone team member, and is provided with a budget for materials.
Our star dives into the task with six months until the event. At first the spaces to beautify included the auditorium and one other room; then the assignment expanded to many rooms, corridors, and areas outside the facility. This dear woman worked intensely 10 hours most days, creating all kinds of decorations, rising to challenges of all kinds.
In these two quarters of the year, this heroine threw herself into the process: inventing, developing products with a skill and profusion she had never experienced from herself before. Wow her creations were quirky, wonderful and beautiful. Just the mural for the stage, evocative of a certain well- loved city, required two weeks of intense painting. That backdrop set the perfect atmosphere for the theme in that room and was widely praised. Wow, this heroine had not ever trained in art of any kind.
Close to the fundraiser date, the center organizers hired someone to create three signs to direct the flow of participants. That individual was paid $600.
“I was stunned,” cried Rhona. “I had worked devotedly for six months and received no compensation at all. Hearing about that payment gave me a sense of how much my work would cost if not volunteered. A whole lot: probably thousands!”
R reported to a friend. The friend asked, “Do you feel like a victim of the center? Did the center take advantage of you?”
They discussed it and here are some important points that emerged: Rhona:
- Was not taken advantage of.
- Discovered an activity she adores and at which she excels.
“I have found myself!” she declares.
3. Gained much self-esteem and confidence.
- Is being sought out for help in designs and adornment for other catered events.
- Recognizes the gift that this opportunity provided to her self-development.
Isn’t it great that Rhona took a chance volunteering to decorate for the annual fund raising!
Do you have accounts from your life where you passed up immediate financial gain for more satisfaction over time? Please report in! We love it!
We are awake to how we regard and assess situations of our lives.
So many of us have absorbed the opinions and conditioning of the culture around us and that flows out of us without any pause. Many might make financial gain a very high priority. Does that focus always produce results for us?