Access the
Incredible Power of a Team
Trapeze artists have
a saying, “Let the catcher do the catching.” As
Rodleigh of "The Flying Rodleighs" puts it:
"As a flyer, I
must have complete trust in my catcher. The public
might think that I am the great star of the trapeze,
but the real star is Joe, my catcher. He has to be
there for me with split second precision and grab me
out of the air as I come to him in the long jump. .
. The secret is that the flyer does nothing and the
catcher does everything. . . The worst thing the
flyer can do is to try to catch the catcher. . . A
flyer must fly and a catcher must catch, and the
flyer must trust, with outstretched arms, that his
catcher will be there for him."
In that
simple statement lies a world of wisdom for each of us
as we pursue our Vision.
First of all, when
we are flying between our trapezes, we have to
acknowledge that there are catchers. A catcher
is a person in your life who is there to help you along
your way. That may be a trusted friend, or it may be an
acquaintance that introduces you to the right person at
exactly the right time. We all need catchers -- people
who do their jobs so we can do ours. People who are not
necessarily like us, but people who compliment
us. Support for your journey can come from an organized
group of people, or it may come from a network of people
who come in and out of your life as you need them.
An old Zen saying
goes: “Leap and the net will appear.” Often, that net
is a group of people who somehow arrive at the right
time and provide support when and how you need it.
Catchers instinctively show up, and know your rhythm.
One of the keys to this Step is being aware that there
are catchers in your life and all along your
journey, and that you have to allow them to support
you. The power of your Vision and your intention will
attract the right people at the right time.
Perhaps even more
importantly, when the catchers show up, let them do the
catching. For the flying trapeze artist, trying to hard
to “get caught” will ultimately result in a missed
connection. Like the drowning person flailing about in
the water, you push people away when you try to do the
work of those supporting you. Let the people who show
up bring you their gifts and provide the support you
need. If you try too hard, you will miss your
connection.
“I know I have to do it myself, but I
don’t have to do it alone.”
Exercise
Once again in a
quiet moment, think about the people in your life who
support you and believe in you. Think of the people who
have arrived in your life over time just when you needed
them. Make a list in your notebook of the people you
have around you that are there to help you now. Add to
it as you move along your journey. Notice how people
arrive when they should.
Also, look at ways
that you might be pushing away help by trying to do the
catching for the catcher. Is there someone who might be
a help but you don’t let them in?
A career counselor
uses this as an example. If you are looking for a job,
you have to get out and talk to people and “network” to
find the leads and the ideas that will eventually land
you a new position. If someone you are talking to
doesn’t know you well, they may be hesitant to give you
a lead or a contact at first. If they ask you, “Have
you considered XYZ Corp.?” (…because they have a friend
there who might be able to help you), and you answer,
“Yes, but I hear they aren’t hiring now, so I took them
off my list,” the person most likely won’t give you the
lead. If you responded by saying something like, “Yes,
I have… but did you have something in mind?,” you would
open the door and let them (the catcher) help you by
giving you a new lead.
Look for places in
your life that help may be waiting or people may be
available that you haven’t been open to. And go to
the
Flyers and Catchers Forum and find others who are
like you, who might help you, and even more importantly,
who you might help. Contact them with a Private
Message and build your "net!"
Let the catchers do
their job.
  |
