The Best Worst Question

I'd been talking for nearly 20 minutes. 

I had been explaining all of the things that had gone into, and that I was currently doing in order to finish, the Big Offering. I'd mentioned the challenges, the setbacks, the successes, the different avenues, products, and people I'd spoken to. The research, the technical support, the stores and what happened with that one clerk...

He listened politely, then asked the absolutely worst - and subsequently best - question he could have asked:

"That sounds like a lot.

Do you think it's worth it?"

 ___

Few people think about all of the time, people, ideas, and resources that it took to create a 2-hour movie as they sit in the darkness of a theater enjoying it.

Few consider how many people it took to get the pairs of jeans made and to the store as they compare prices and fit in the fitting room.

Few think about the lives of the creators - the joys, sacrifices, and mundane challenges - behind the piece of art on their wall or the book on their shelf.

Instead, we focus on the final product. 

Did I enjoy that movie? Was it worth it?

Can I get this fit in my jeans for $10 less, or is this pair worth paying for?

Why is this piece of art priced at THIS - is it really worth it?

We forget about the PROCESS behind the products. If we were to focus on the process over the product, might we find different answers to our questions of "is it worth it"?

For example:

• What was given in order to create that product?

• How many people dedicated time - away from families or sleep - to create what you are watching or wearing?

• How far did it travel, how much of the earth's resources did it use, how much passion was put into its creation?

And once you know the answers to these questions, how might that influence your decision to spend time or a certain amount of money invested in it?

And don't forget about the other side of this giving and receiving cycle: What YOU have to offer the world. Can you think about your own process over product?

Can you step away from the judgmental voices - both positive and negative - that tell you what is right or wrong to create?

Can you step instead into the process, to feel that which calls you,

to find the strength within to do what needs to be done to offer to the world what you have inside of you?

I will admit: I was pissed when he asked the question. Is it WORTH it? Could he be serious? But he wasn't coming from a place of hatred - just one of honestly not knowing. He didn't know the process behind the process - the stories behind the countless hours that went into it. He couldn't know the unwavering passion I had for bringing this to light. 

When I look at what I'm offering, I have released attachment to the final product. I was obsessed with getting every detail right. Soon, like a loving parent, I will release it into the world and let it be what it will be.

I will not judge its success based off how many people purchase it, how much I earn, nor how many accolades or criticisms it receives. 

Instead, I look at how I feel about it right now. I think of all of the late nights spent writing ideas or in front of the glowing computer screen, the hours searching store to store for the right fabric, the months of inquiry about the right online program.

I think about the passion that drove it all, that still keeps me coming to the development of this program again and again and again. I think about the fire that STILL gets me excited when I think about who and how it might provide benefit. And I think about how I never ONCE asked myself if any of this was worth it.

This isn't just a product. It is an offering, with a process behind it that is nothing short of Who I Am. And it will address nothing short of Who You Are. It will encourage you to mindfully explore your own life, to be open to what emerges through the practices.

So are we worth it?

.....

Namaste.