Georgie and the Power of Be

The other day, I woke up really early. I was at that in between place - sort of awake, but mostly not, when a thought popped in - it’s not a question of what should I do, but who do I need to be?

The thought came back to me later when I was more conscious. I realized that whenever I am afraid, I obsessively think about what I should do about the situation. But what would happen if I thought about who I needed to be for it to resolve?

So, being someone who is very story-oriented, I thought about characters, specifically, my latest obsession - the characters on Young Sheldon. I just watched an episode where Sheldon’s brother Georgie decides to buy fifty Texas snow globes from a store that is going out of business. His big plan is to buy them for a dollar and then sell them for five. He buys the snow globes and heads out to sell them, knocking on everyone’s door in the neighborhood, only to have most of those doors slammed in his face. Feeling defeated, Georgie goes to his father, who basically says “I told you so.”

Spurred on by his father’s criticism, Georgie decides he will figure out how to sell all those globes. He slows down and reconsiders everything. The next scene he is dressed in a suit, taking a deep breath as he walks up to another door. But this time, instead of focusing on his goal - to sell the snow globes - he focuses on the person who answers the door. He encourages the man to tell his story about snow in Texas where he and his brother went sledding, stirring up long forgotten but still cherished memories. Georgie listens, asking questions as the man shares. Of course, you know what happens next - the guy buys two snow globes and the pattern continues until they are all sold.

While I realize this is fiction, the story line is something most of us get. When we feel like someone has their own agenda and is trying to make us do something, we typically resist. When we are grounded, calm, and centered in who we are - when we are being - others are more likely to cooperate, right? While Georgie did have to “do” for his dream to happen, what actually brought the result he wanted was by focusing on who he was being in the interaction. He listened. He was respectful. He was kind. It wasn’t about him anymore. He was just helping the person connect to a memory that brought them joy. And suddenly those snow globes were worth a whole lot more.

Moral of the story - next time you are facing a challenge, think about who you want to be, instead of obsessing about what you need to do. Smile, take a breath, and BE.