Verb
Isolate or hide away (someone or something): “the artist sequestered himself in his studio for two years”.
Have you sequestered your Yippee?
What you want to do may be right in front of you. BUT you won’t bring it out of the closet because you are afraid:
It won’t make you enough money.
There’s too much competition in that market.
You’re too old.
Too young.
You have no contacts in that field.
You’re too busy to start something new.
You tried it once and it didn’t work out.
You see all kinds of reasons why you can’t do it.
I know. I’ve seen plenty of people who feel that hiding their yippee is the only way to make a living and “be sensible”. You are not alone. Believe me.
Karen is a tall, slender brunette with beautiful blue eyes who has been a television personality and producer. She’s the kind of person that can both inspire and intimidate others. Many of us believe if I were like Karen, I’d have it made. She appears fearless and lucky, just the kind of person who would never need to sequester her yippee.
A few years ago she began developing a series of books for children, and she brought a few of us together to look at the books and suggest ideas for making them commercially successful. As she talked about ways to engage the children, the possibilities for the material, the ideas for the next books, her eyes lit up with excitement; you could feel her energy and enthusiasm.
“My only fear,” Karen admitted, “Is that since I’m not a mother myself, my advice isn’t going to be very well received. Do you think I should shift my focus from children to corporate audiences? That would probably be better for me financially. And, I know there’s a need there.”
We all nodded. Yes, of course, that made sense; there is a need in the corporate world. She could speak and train. A sure path to success. After all she had worked in TV and knew how present in powerful ways.
But as we began to map out ways she could make money in the corporate world and have an impact, a look of resentment and panic began to shine in those lovely eyes. But I don’t want to do that, she finally said.
Everyone stopped. We had spent the better part of an hour figuring out this new path to success and now she seemed to be backing out. We all stared at her. And she looked back at us, a little panicked and a little indignant.
And then it hit me: No matter how much money Karen could make in the corporate world, no matter how many contacts she already had there and how good she would be at presenting, that just wasn’t her yippee. Her yippee is developing material for children. She is a gifted creator. Her ideas for engagement and expansion are brilliant. Luckily she caught herself just in time. She had been on the brink of sequestering her yippee, pushing it aside because of her assumption that in order to be of value to children, she had to be a mother.
The realization that Karen’s Yippee needed to be in the middle of her business model shifted the conversation toward what needed to be in place for Karen’s talent and passion to drive the commercial effort. Our goal was to find out how her passion and what she loved could drive the business model rather than the other way around. Otherwise her Yippee would have been hidden, sequestered. And sequestration is never a good idea.
Is there something right in front of you that you are dying to do but believe:
It’s too late.
You’re too old.
You’re too young.
There’s too much competition.
You don’t have enough resources.
Don’t hide it away. Put your yippee at the very center of your business plan and let your passion drive your profits!!
Have you ever sequestered your yippee? How did you bring it out of hiding? Are you still hiding it and do you need a little boost getting it out again? What assumptions or fears are you lugging around?
Let me know!
Until Tuesday. Yippee!
Elizabeth
Well said.