A story is told in an ancient text about a god who created the first humans. The creator named the man Adam. The creator named the women Eve. Some believe that the god created these beings with the same capacity as he held—to create. The creator placed Adam and Eve in a lush garden and instructed the man and woman that they were free to eat of every tree except one.
One day, Eve was walking near the forbidden tree. A voice from the tree engaged her. The voice asked, “The god told you that you could not eat from every tree?” And there, right there, he had her redirected. The deception was a subtle confusion. The creator was not oppressing Adam and Eve with his first instructions. The creator was freeing them. He did not begin with “you cannot.” He began with “you are free.” The issue under investigation was not the monotony of the menu and the prohibition. The important issue was how the prescribed menu freed Adam and Eve to focus on their relationship rather than worrying about food, shelter, and belonging.
This story of redirection is a cautionary tale for you. It is now time to focus on what you CAN do rather than being redirected to dwell on what you CANNOT do. When I come to you looking to collaborate, I am not interested in what you have not learned or are incapable of. I first want to know how you are able to partner with me—what you can add to our partnership. The sooner you recognize the gifts you have, the sooner you can begin to feed those gifts. Eve should have been using the food she had to fuel higher developmental needs. You should be confident with what you now know and have capacity to do. Now focus on higher developmental needs. Let us connect in partnership.
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