The other day a good friend and I were attempting to open yet another pomegranate without making it look like several people had given their lives in the process. She found a great video on the ‘best way’ to open a pomegranate beautifully. We watched. We oohed and ahhhed at the technique. We agreed that this was, indeed, a beautiful, clean way to open a pomegranate. So, we attempted to follow the example. While I certainly won’t say utter failure, no, not in the least; I WILL say, with all certainty, it most definitely did NOT look like the one in the video and this got me thinking…
How often, my Heroes, do we attempt something we see others doing without the proper tools? How often, my AMAZING Heroes, do we compare ourselves and something we are doing to someone else’s successful attempt at the same thing without giving thought to the details? Far. Too. Often. Yes we look at the person cutting open that pomegranate and we look at ourselves and all we see is the word, ‘FAILURE.’ We wonder why we, being the unique, spectacular, highly intelligent and resourceful Heroes that we are, cannot seem to cut that damn pomegranate open without spewing bright red juice everywhere. It’s simple enough, right?
Take a step back. What did we know about the person in the video? Perhaps he was some expert pomegranate slicer who spent years perfecting this technique. Perhaps he’s a pomegranate farmer who knows how to pick JUST THE RIGHT pomegranate for the video. Perhaps he already practiced on hundreds before finding the right pomegranate, the right gently curved knife, the right angle for the job. And what did we have? A flat knife and perhaps 10-20 pomegranate cuttings under our belts. We didn’t have the same tools. Our pomegranate didn’t have the perfectly-placed membranes to cut into.
My Heroes, this is what I want YOU to do next time you compare your seemingly ‘failed’ attempt at something to someone else’s successful one: take a step back. Or maybe several steps. Maybe a running leap. Look at the details. GIVE YOURSELF SOME CREDIT. You are NOT a FAILURE. Period. You have a different set of tools and different life-materials with which to navigate YOUR path, your ‘something,’ your life. Stop comparing your tools with someone else’s. Start meshing your tools, your materials with those of people around you. Share. Explore. Try a new tool. A new material.
Whatever you do, next time you compare….stop, look, listen, then laugh. That’s what we did, my Pomegranate Hero friend and I. In the end, hands stained red and sticky from peeling our two pomegranates, we looked at our mess, and we laughed. And our children? Did THEY know of our ‘failed’ attempt? Did they care? Not in the least. Pass the pomegranate, please, was all we heard before all of our hard work was devoured in a matter of minutes.
Remember, my Heroes: Stop. Look. Listen (to your heart). Laugh. And remember, too, my Heroes: You ARE a SUCCESS.
HEROES: I am running a contest now through December 31st. We have 126 Heroes who have signed up for my blog posts so far. (THANK YOU!!!)
Our goal is 150 by December 31st. Will you help? Pass this link along to ANYONE whom you think needs to know what a HERO (s)he really is. Ask them to click 'Connect' and fill in the 'Contact' form to be added to the growing list of HEROES all over the world. In addition, to make this more fun:
In the comments below, tell us: If you could be any fruit, what fruit would you be and WHY? When we hit our goal of 150, the person whose comment is the most creative will receive a gift card.
Sitting in a sticky pomegranate mess,
Lora Ackermann
Pomegranate Hero Trainer
How often, my Heroes, do we attempt something we see others doing without the proper tools? How often, my AMAZING Heroes, do we compare ourselves and something we are doing to someone else’s successful attempt at the same thing without giving thought to the details? Far. Too. Often. Yes we look at the person cutting open that pomegranate and we look at ourselves and all we see is the word, ‘FAILURE.’ We wonder why we, being the unique, spectacular, highly intelligent and resourceful Heroes that we are, cannot seem to cut that damn pomegranate open without spewing bright red juice everywhere. It’s simple enough, right?
Take a step back. What did we know about the person in the video? Perhaps he was some expert pomegranate slicer who spent years perfecting this technique. Perhaps he’s a pomegranate farmer who knows how to pick JUST THE RIGHT pomegranate for the video. Perhaps he already practiced on hundreds before finding the right pomegranate, the right gently curved knife, the right angle for the job. And what did we have? A flat knife and perhaps 10-20 pomegranate cuttings under our belts. We didn’t have the same tools. Our pomegranate didn’t have the perfectly-placed membranes to cut into.
My Heroes, this is what I want YOU to do next time you compare your seemingly ‘failed’ attempt at something to someone else’s successful one: take a step back. Or maybe several steps. Maybe a running leap. Look at the details. GIVE YOURSELF SOME CREDIT. You are NOT a FAILURE. Period. You have a different set of tools and different life-materials with which to navigate YOUR path, your ‘something,’ your life. Stop comparing your tools with someone else’s. Start meshing your tools, your materials with those of people around you. Share. Explore. Try a new tool. A new material.
Whatever you do, next time you compare….stop, look, listen, then laugh. That’s what we did, my Pomegranate Hero friend and I. In the end, hands stained red and sticky from peeling our two pomegranates, we looked at our mess, and we laughed. And our children? Did THEY know of our ‘failed’ attempt? Did they care? Not in the least. Pass the pomegranate, please, was all we heard before all of our hard work was devoured in a matter of minutes.
Remember, my Heroes: Stop. Look. Listen (to your heart). Laugh. And remember, too, my Heroes: You ARE a SUCCESS.
HEROES: I am running a contest now through December 31st. We have 126 Heroes who have signed up for my blog posts so far. (THANK YOU!!!)
Our goal is 150 by December 31st. Will you help? Pass this link along to ANYONE whom you think needs to know what a HERO (s)he really is. Ask them to click 'Connect' and fill in the 'Contact' form to be added to the growing list of HEROES all over the world. In addition, to make this more fun:
In the comments below, tell us: If you could be any fruit, what fruit would you be and WHY? When we hit our goal of 150, the person whose comment is the most creative will receive a gift card.
Sitting in a sticky pomegranate mess,
Lora Ackermann
Pomegranate Hero Trainer