Dr. Bronner’s at Jimbo’s (My excitement photoshopped in)
MY brilliant idea…or not.
1o+ years ago I asked my super brilliant robotic minded friend to design a system that would blend a concentrated cleaning solution (like laundry soap, shampoo, etc.) with water at Starbucks. You’d walk in to a Starbucks and fill your glass jar with whatever liquid solution you needed and pay by weight. Think of soda machines, but for cleaning solutions for your home.
Since a huge % of every bottle we buy is water, I thought we could save on transportation of water. (I know, silly, right? We ship water all around the world in plastic bottles.) We would then just be shipping the concentrated cleaning solution, the water would come from Starbucks, and people would be responsible for their own containers. Starbucks are everywhere AND they already have the plumbing to do this.
Brilliant idea, right? That probably sounds arrogant, but here is why it is not.
I actually don’t think it was MY idea. It was AN idea that I tapped in to that was floating around in the universe. I had a choice whether to pursue that idea or not. I didn’t. What I did do, is tell every entrepreneur I knew any chance I had to see if they would run with it. I knew the world needed it. It just wasn’t mine to bring forward.
I watch people get so attached to things (myself included). This is MY idea, MY car, MY parking space, MY money, etc. I believe everything is a gift from God and I GET to have a lease on life.
I also listen to everyone tell me how entitled the new generation is and what a big problem it is. They must not have any mirrors to look at the entitlement within themselves. It may be subtle. It might not be obvious. But, it is there. Notice if someone is sitting in YOUR spot in the coffee shop or conference room. Notice other places you may take ownership of something, or even someone.
MY, MY, MY, this needs to change. We all have entitlement in us. It is when we can actually own that part of us, that allows us to stop judging others as entitled. Judgements are damaging. They divide us. They make one person better or worse than another. This simply is not true. We are all miraculous beings.
Recognizing our own sense of entitlement also allows us to be less attached to what we want or desire. It allows us to accept what is. I actually see where sometimes people hold on too tight and suffocate what they treasure be it an idea or relationship or something else. When we can hold on to things loosely, like the gentleness of holding a little bird in the palm of our hands, it allows it to go or grow in their own divine time. Not holding on too tight allows us to live in greater peace and harmony.
When we can see our own entitlement, we can stop judging others. When we can see that everything is a gift from God, we can accept it for what it is and find gratitude. This will open your shell – and the shells of those around you – a little more allowing the pearl within to truly shine!!!
What do you think? I love hearing from you. I read every e-mail.
P.S. I am sooooo excited to see this happening in our world. There are even shops dedicated to refills now. I am thrilled someone made the idea a reality. How shucktacular is that?!?