How many times have you heard the term, work with what you have? Has it become a cliche, or do you apply it to your life on a regular basis? Intellectually, I know I should work with what I have, but I have to confess that sometimes I let pride get in the way and lose precious energy and time worrying about what I don’t have. The same works for self-confidence. Do you worry about your inability to speak in public or do you work to enhance the inherent talent you have of consoling your friends on a one-to-one basis?
I didn’t plant sunflowers last year. We’d moved house recently so I was busy trying to get the house in order and missed my chance the get the seeds sown in time. However, yesterday I went to a field to play cricket with my family and noticed a tiny yellow weed growing out of the dry, patchy grass.
I took a close-up picture of it on my mobile phone – no fancy cameras, no trick photography – just a phone photo. I noticed that this little weed looked as grand and as beautiful as my previous years’ sunflowers.
yellow weed flower
Always in life, we find ourselves worse off than someone else we know. Our house is always smaller than a friend’s or sibling’s. Our kids are not as bright. Our finances – not as sound. And our car – not as grand.Yet, when we look at the two images above, on close inspection the lowly weed is just as beautiful as splendiferous sunflower. Your talent is just as perfect as mine – different, but perfect just the same.
In order to work with what you have, you have to first identify and appreciate what you have. The trick is taking a close look at our own features – a very close look. This intimate inspection can reveal all kinds of grandness. Not because we’re shorter than the person next door, we’re less elegant. Not because we were educated at inner city schools, our intelligence is worth less than someone classically trained.
We’ve got all we need to succeed within ourselves. If success could be measured by my cousin’s, wife’s promotion, then no I haven’t got the ability to succeed. Success though, is relative. We can all be successful with what we’ve been given – within our personal, social and professional life. Sometimes concentrating on what others have got in larger quantities or qualities stunts our ability to reach our place in life. Remember? work with what you have!
You too, like this humble weed above, have the potential to be as grand as the sunflower, if you delve down deep and close enough.
Sometimes working with what you have requires a self-overhaul. Life can place a lot of weight on your shoulders if you just keep going with the mundane tasks of every day existence. Homes need to be up-kept and spring-cleaned. Cars need to be serviced. Kids need to play. Trophies need to be dusted. What about you? What do you need? Do you ever Spring clean your life? If not, you’re suffering in the rut you fell into years ago.
Pick yourself up. Get past your past and do something that excites you today. In all you do, work with what you already have. this way, there’s no waiting around, there’s no acquiring and best of all, it’s all you!
Stop by my book launch events page on May 22nd and ask me any questions, leave me a message or just come to hang out with me on this special occasion. Thank you for your continued support. More details about my book.
Great message Anne. No matter how aware we may be of the importance of gratitude, it’s simply human nature to occasionally take for granted the day-to-day blessings right in front of our noses. I am a big believer in journals. It’s amazing to me how many breakthroughs I’ve experienced by simply investing in some quiet time to write down my thoughts and feelings. Thanks for the inspiration and looking forward to your book launch!
Thank you, Marty. The launch is on my heels already. It’s all coming together and I hope it’s a success. I know I’m already thankful for all I have. I don’t want to ever take my blessings for granted. This brings us more unhappiness than we realise.
Hope you can make the launch.
Anne recently posted..Exterior Makeover Tips
that’s so right
we need to become aware of our capabilities before we can use them
thank you : )
Hi Farouk. Thanks for the visit. Some people find it very hard to stick with one thing and work at it to develop it. My hope is that I can help at least one person sit down and really work out what gifts they have in life and how they can use it to benefit themselves and others.
Anne recently posted..Spicing Up Dull Wardrobes
Wow, that yellow weed flower is very beautiful! It looks like it has been edited but you claimed that it was all natural. I love it!
Rob Grant recently posted..How to Fake a Sun-Kissed Glow
I promise it’s not ‘shopped at all. It was taken on a simple mobile phone (it wasn’t even a picture phone or an iPhone.
It’s exactly what we can see in ourselves or others if we look close enough – beauty that we didn’t know was there.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Rob.
Anne recently posted..Spicing Up Dull Wardrobes
Thanks for sharing, it is so true, whenever i look at what i have, i am happy and grateful, and when i look at what others have, I have learnt to appreciate and join them in thanksgiving, for each of us have taken our own journey to reach where ever we are in life, so i want to look at what i have and be happy !
Definitely. We all have been blessed in different ways according to our needs. Someone else’s blessings may not suit us or even apply to our lifestyle. It’s a waste of time trying to get what they have.
Anne recently posted..Spicing Up Dull Wardrobes
Anne, Love the positive vibe of this post. Appreciating what I have now and not what’s on the other side of the fence is necessary in order to give what I have instead of what I think others expect.
I’m bookmarking your site to come back for more.
Stay strong and Be Inspired.
Geoff Reese recently posted..We Have Been Wired For Relationship
Thanks, Geoff. I’m glad you’ve found positivity here. It was my hope when I built this site.
Anne recently posted..Notice Board For Kids Bedroom
This is really helpful! People always find hard to work with what they have because they always don’t see them, they don’t see that they have so much already.
Sara recently posted..My Plow &Hearth Review
Exactly, Sara. This post is to bring that to mind. If we start noticing what we have, we’ll be able to see ourselves in a whole new, positive light.
Anne recently posted..Notice Board For Kids Bedroom
I really like this article; I was planning on writing one similar to this in the future, mainly because this subject is always on my mind on what I have and what I don’t have.
I believe what has gotten me to where I am today isn’t just from hard work, but it’s what I lack of, and try to make it up for by working harder. It’s like a self driven energy that is automatically given just because I have a need to get up to par with everything else.
Dennis recently posted..6 Things To Learn From Steve Jobs
Thank you for your input, Dennis. Incidentally, I think I’m like you in a lot of ways. For example, I was always a rubbish Maths student. However, I excelled in other subjects because I knew I was so hopeless in one, and felt like I had to make up in other ways.
Anne recently posted..Notice Board For Kids Bedroom
I have always thought it’s important to be happy with what you have in life. If you spend your time worrying about what you don’t have, it can cause major stress and or depression. Most people don’t realize the negative effect worrying can have on your life.