At ‘Art of Brill’ we help people achieve full human-ness by working on their Vitamin Be. We’re less interested in your daily ‘to-do’ list and more interested in your ‘to-be’ list. Being an awesome human being requires you to ask ‘who am I being while I’m doing those tasks on my to-do list?’
So, for example, am I being world class? Am I being full of enthusiasm, kindness, gratitude and passion for life, or am I being ground down by a pandemic, the news and a rainy day?
That’s a bigger deal than it sounds. But here’s the real stretch…
We’re all born with jaw-dropping potential but most people waste it because of the so-called Jonah Complex (the Biblical Jonah was a timid merchant who resisted God’s call for him to do important work). Basically, we have a fear of our own greatness. It’s too daunting to be your best self. Or maybe you think it’s arrogant to elevate to ‘best possible self’.
What if I fail? What if I can’t sustain it? What will people think? It sounds like hard work!
The Jonah Complex means it’s easier and safer to play small.
I was working in a school the other week and I asked the kids (age 12) ‘Who intends to be the Prime Minister?’ There were no hands up, just some chuckles and squirming.
So I said, ‘Someone’s got to aim that high, so why not you?’
That got the discussion going. One of the girls told me she wanted to be an engineer and I challenged her by asking ‘What’s the point of learning to be a mediocre engineer? Why would you aim to be middle of the pack? Why would you evade your own true capabilities and possibilities?’
I explained that too many people lower their bar. The possibility of becoming remarkable shoots a thunderbolt of fear into many unremarkable people. Yet, if we look back to when we were 12 we realise everything was on the table. It was all possible!
The good news is that whatever age you are right now, and whatever life has dealt you, your Vitamin Be is still there for the taking.
You at your best, it’s what your family needs. It’s what your team needs. It’s what ‘Art of Brill’ helps you achieve.
But there’s a bigger thought lurking. Abraham Maslow spoke of what he called ‘Eupsychia’. This is the culture created by thousands of people who are being their best selves.
That’s what the world needs.