Fewer Sides, What’s the Entrée?: A Season of Focus
A great exercise that my Soul Sib Glo has inspired and incited is what we have deemed “Checking Your Sides.” This spawned from our many potlucks and Sunday dinners. Very often, a group of us friends would come together piecemealing a spread, with exclamations like, “I’ll bring green beans." "I'll bring a fruit tray." I'll bring whisky." "I’ll bring cake.” And soon, we would have a full list of dishes. But I remember, Glo asking a question that I hear in my heart regularly still. “We have all these sides, but where’s the entrée?"
She and I would discuss that principle in depth, applying it to our real lives. "Just because you can make a meal of a full plate doesn’t mean you have everything you need." So my question is, "When it comes to life, so often we have several projects happening-- many events, many bookings and appearances, but just because we have a lot going on does not mean we actually have a lot going on. So often, we can easily allow things and events and projects to find their ways onto our proverbial plates to the point of we see quantity, but not always quantity.
I personally recognition how easy it is to just be busy. I have to check in often to evaluate are commitments and obligations serving me or are they just on my plate. Regularly and randomly, Glo will still ask me, “How many sides are on your plate?" Through my process, I recognize I am a 3-5 sides man. With entrees of work and school. other endeavors from community work, social outings, events, and leisure have to count, because I literally only have time and space for so few things.
So, in true Geraldism way, I pose the question, “How many sides are on your plate?" Are your commitments serving you? Are you seeing outcomes from your obligations? Are you resenting any of them? What might you be able to reassess, because a full plate alone doesn't make for a great experience. Take a look and let me know what you think!
