Singer-songwriter-coach Barbara McAfee sings a great story about a White Cow. It goes like this:
On a small green island, is one white cow.
The grass there grows thick and tall.
All day the White Cow eats her fill,
till she’s eaten it all.The sun sets.
The cow grows thin,
worried the grass
won’t grow again.The light returns.
To the cow’s surprise,
the grass is shoulder height.
Every day there’s plenty.
Every night she doubts.
White Cow, so do I.I am this white cow. No matter how often things work out.
Now can you tell me, how the poet knew, 700 years ago,
that a fretful woman, in the wee small hours,
would recognize this white cow?–Song lyrics by Barbara McAfee, Awake album
Do you know some leaders who suffer from the White Cow syndrome? They worry all the time that their current good situation won’t last. They are worried that something—some problem or someone—is going to come along and ruin the strong and productive team or organization they have developed. Things are just too good, so it can’t last.
Such thinking comes from a position of scarcity. There is only so much good stuff in the world and my “allotment” is sure to end soon.
This thinking also leads to extreme competitiveness. It makes people want to “fly under the radar” and not be too visible. They don’t want to share good ideas because someone else might come and steal them. They see others as competitors rather than as collaborators.
But you know what I have discovered? Where there is good stuff happening, it attracts even more good stuff. Positive energy expands exponentially when people open their hearts to gratitude and trust. For some people it is not easy to do, but it is truly worth the effort.
So look around you. See the world as lavish and bountiful. Open your heart to accept overflowing gratitude for what abounds in your life. And rejoice—don’t retreat!
Then as the song says, instead of fretting in the wee small hours, say,
“White Cow, I think I might lie down and sleep tonight.”
Lyrics by Barbara McAfee, Awake album
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