Your Kernels

Do you remember the last time you made popcorn for yourself? It was probably a packet you threw into the microwave, but maybe you went old school and popped it on the stove, or plugged in the exceptionally loud whirling popcorn maker and stole a few pieces before they fell out the shoot. Does anyone still Jiffy Pop?

You could argue over preferred popping methods, the proper amount of salt, butter and other accoutrements to add, but everyone faces the same feeling of sadness toward the end of the bowl, when you shake it around and make note of the unpopped kernels. If a full bowl of hot buttery popcorn were a ten, the dregs at the bottom would be a one. Those kernels, for whatever reason, somehow escaped the effects of heat and pressure but still found their way into your bowl. They’ve become a success measure; if there are very few, it’s considered a good effort, if there are many, we feel disappointed because those kernels represent lost potential.

That sense of fleeting ruefulness is how I feel when I learn someone still has unmet goals sitting at the bottom of their abundance.

Now, I know we don’t always get everything we want, when we want it. Life doesn’t work that way. It has disappointment built-in, probably to test our resolve and increase our gratitude for the things that do work. Which is actually pretty cool, because what’s better than having moments of gratitude? I suspect nothing. Still, that doesn’t excuse us from putting in effort toward our important goals. It doesn’t mean it’s okay to quit.

Do me a favor, look through your bowl of abundance, and if you have important kernels you’re carrying with you, give me a call and let’s get them to pop.