I pride myself on being afraid of very little, and I work hard to push through obstacles whenever they appear. Sometimes, though, one must accept her limitations. The key is how she handles them. I’ll use myself as an example.
I have no sense of direction. Many years ago there was an article in the New York Times about a study (on birds, no less) that proved that a person’s directional capabilities depended on how many magnetic ions were in one’s head. Obviously, I have none.
I first compensated for this by marrying a guy who could go somewhere once and return to the same place years later without directions. We then moved to Northern Westchester, the land of driving, and I replaced his abilities with technology. This has been somewhat helpful but it did not stop me from driving in circles for almost an hour the other day in search of Home Goods, nine miles from my house. The annoying lady in my car’s GPS and the nice man from OnStar who routed directions into my vehicle were not enough to prevent this mishap. Happily, I had the company of a wonderful friend and we did get a tour of at least four different towns.
You are probably wondering if I have ever owned a real map. Of course I have! I just can’t read one. My major in college was International Relations. We studied the interactions between different nations with great depth. As for finding these countries on a globe, I had a general sense on which continent they might be located, but that was it. Whilst others are bogged down by the details when they travel, I just enjoy the company of the locals and the food. Pyrenees? Alps? Andes? Why does it matter? They’re lovely to look at regardless of what they are called.
Speaking of maps, I found myself looking up the weather forecast last Saturday morning. Despite seeing the snow outside my window, I had to convince myself that driving to Albany that morning was a bad idea. I stared at the radar map for a while. I gained no knowledge of the snow pattern for the day but I did marvel at how pretty the colors were on my new computer.
I must also admit that I am bit lacking in spatial ability. Think sixteen-foot Christmas tree and a twelve-foot ceiling. Hmm…. or maybe all of the times I try to move furniture by myself and find myself stuck in a doorway. Thank you, Danielle, for being able to take a door off its hinges so quickly. At least my adventures always provide a giggle.
The one area where I refuse to accept any limitations is my new career as a “mompraneur.” Towards this end I am enlisting the help of other ‘mompraneurs” to help me achieve success in my chosen field of network marketing. We will work together during February to create a platform that will help me accomplish three things: explode my own businesses, fuel my love of writing and support other women who find as much joy as I do in the work that I do.
In the meantime, I hope you find ways to move through your own limitations and I bet you will find joy on the other side.
“See” you in March!