John Paul Lederach is an academic, mediator, negotiator, peacebuilding practitioner, trainer and consultant at the forefront of international peace building efforts.
He notes that yeast left sitting on the shelf is useless. In order for it to work, we combine it with moisture, a food source, and some (but not too much) heat. Then we wait. Even after the chemical reaction is well underway, time is required. Yeast is mixed into the mass, not once, but many times. “You never accept the first mix or two. You keep beating it up. You knead it. ‘I don’t care if you’re growing. Go back down. We’re gonna try it again.’”
What would happen if, having been pushed down again and again, the yeast were to say, “well, forget it then. Clearly this is not going to work.”
Sometimes the wise course when faced with setbacks is to stop, learn, learn, and try something different. Other times, when the principles are sound and the goal is worthy, the better strategy is to persist. Like quality yeast, quality relationship combined with patience, persistence, and trust in the process, produces results.
Tomorrow is the last day to enter my Instagram giveaway. Prizes include an hour of free coaching with me and copies of two books: Bill Plotkin’s Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche and Jennifer Swanson’s book What They See: How to Stand Out and Shine in Your New Job. If you’re on Instagram, here’s how you can enter.
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