“You’re too much”, they say.
Too particular.
Too loud.
Too worried.
Too positive.
Too bold.
Too emotional.
Too happy.
Too loving.
Too smart.
Too driven.
Too calm.
“To whom MUCH is given, MUCH is required.”
(from the biblical narrative, Luke 12:48)
Our ‘muchness’ is our innate design. It is, indeed, the gift we bring to the world.
Like any great ability we must take focused attention to grow it into its full potential. A natural born athlete never succeeds without developing that gift. She works hard to strengthen all her muscles, not just her back swing, to succeed at the art of tennis. An amazing quarterback doesn’t simply work on his passing game but must learn how to play in precise cooperation with the team to allow that natural ability to serve the whole.
I’ve been told my positive outlook can be ‘too much’. I had to ask myself…’Is that true?”
The answer, much to my surprise, is YES even though most of my life I’ve thought otherwise. That may sound shallow but my thinking used to be ‘why WOULDN’T we all look for the silver lining in any situation?’ Why wouldn’t I want to focus on everything I consider positive? Of course, we know why. Because there are times when we cannot find the bright side. Pain is a part of life and to deny it or try to avoid it only serves to weaken my existence. Denying that reality blocks my ability to learn what life is teaching me...to develop the whole of who I am.
So…I must intentionally grow my muchness to be used in conjunction with those around me. We are in partnership with others and, like that great athlete, it is when we each hone our unique gift to serve the whole that our relationships thrive.
