With my mantra for 2012 being one of "abundance," I've been slowly and sometimes painfully realizing that it isn't as easy as it seems to live the abundant life. Seems like it would be, right? Being open to the bounty before you, in both the genealogy world and in the world in generally. Easy as cake.
Well it isn't. It takes work. It isn't just a matter of gathering up all these things that delight you, that open your mind, or that challenge your thinking. You need to choose. You need to discriminate. You need to curate.
That's the difference between someone who curates and someone who hoards: a hoarder gathers somewhat indiscriminately with little purpose besides gathering and possessing. A curator gathers that which adds value.
I want to add value to my life and to the genealogy community. I want to interact with those like minds, those curators, those genealogy passionistas.
And so I'm learning that I do need to pick my battles, I do need to decide how and when and why to engage, and I do need to let things go and take their own course without my involvement. No matter how much others beg me to get involved.
I also need to trust. If you know the story of the gathering of the manna from Exodus, you know that you could only gather what you could use that very day. The manna would spoil and turn rotten the next day. I need to trust that I can gather what I need for the day and that there will still be more abundance tomorrow.
Lesson learned: Do not waste time on negative people and thoughts. Focus on the good that is in today and the promise of that same good tomorrow. You'll be better for it and so will your genealogy.
Photo: The Gathering of The Manna, ca. 1460-70, Musée de la Chartreuse, Douai, France via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons 3.0 license.
© 2012, copyright Thomas MacEntee
Well it isn't. It takes work. It isn't just a matter of gathering up all these things that delight you, that open your mind, or that challenge your thinking. You need to choose. You need to discriminate. You need to curate.
That's the difference between someone who curates and someone who hoards: a hoarder gathers somewhat indiscriminately with little purpose besides gathering and possessing. A curator gathers that which adds value.
I want to add value to my life and to the genealogy community. I want to interact with those like minds, those curators, those genealogy passionistas.
And so I'm learning that I do need to pick my battles, I do need to decide how and when and why to engage, and I do need to let things go and take their own course without my involvement. No matter how much others beg me to get involved.
I also need to trust. If you know the story of the gathering of the manna from Exodus, you know that you could only gather what you could use that very day. The manna would spoil and turn rotten the next day. I need to trust that I can gather what I need for the day and that there will still be more abundance tomorrow.
Lesson learned: Do not waste time on negative people and thoughts. Focus on the good that is in today and the promise of that same good tomorrow. You'll be better for it and so will your genealogy.
Photo: The Gathering of The Manna, ca. 1460-70, Musée de la Chartreuse, Douai, France via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons 3.0 license.
© 2012, copyright Thomas MacEntee
