The Gift of Less

In this week's Moving Forward Monday we celebrate the month of Valentine's with The Gift of Less. In a society powered by wanting more, getting more, having more; may-be it's time to think about when Less is the better gift.

More or Less - it's actually a matter of focus. Everyday "they" tell us we are not enough - we must have this thing, or accumulate some amount of money, or be that famous to matter. It causes us to focus More on ourselves and in particular on our shortcomings, on what we lack; making us feel inadequate and needing to pull things into us to fill the hole. This causes our vision to become small and inward, and our energy is diminished. So it's no wonder that when our focus in inward (Less on the bigger picture), we accomplish little, have poor impact and feel disconnected.

However, when we focus More on others and in particular how we can help them, our strengths take front stage. Our vision becomes much bigger, and we feel a surge of energy to act, an empowerment to be of consequence, and a connectedness that fills us with satisfaction and joy. And ironically, it is then, when we are no longer seeking More, that More actually finds us. All the while, we are the exact same person... the one with all the shortcomings.

When we change our focus to be Less on ourselves and More on others, we feel differently and so we begin to act differently. We exude our passion; and it is our passion, our immersion in our connectedness with others, that draws More to us.

To accompany our exploration of More v. Less, Fishbowl friend Bruce Pulver, author of Above the Chatter, Our Words Matter, challenges us to be aware that our lives can have much more meaning when we focus on our Gifts of LESS:

bLESSings received

LESSons learned

HopeLESSness overcome

BreathLESS moments

FearLESS actions

HelpLESSness conquered

UseLESSness squelched

WorthLESSness defeated

So this week, think about what drives you. Is it your passion, your outward vision to be part of something bigger than yourself? Or is it the need for more, a small vision in which only you can fit?

Fishbowl Members - don't forget to ask us about our Goal Setting for Success workshop that will help you find that focus on your LESS!

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