One of the things on my “want list” when house shopping, was to have a yard full of fruit trees. What could be better then having a bounty of fresh, organic fruits ready at a moment’s notice to enjoy?
Not to mention the savings of not having to get them from the market!
So, I when I came upon this house that I loved, I was even more delighted to discover that it already had a grove of luscious fruit trees, and that sealed the deal for me. Taking stock of my personal orchard, there was an apricot tree, plum, and peach trees, as well as a raspberry vine.
And a small little orange tree that seemed less mature than the others.
oh well, I thought…must have been planted more recently.
Its fruits were tiny, and the tree itself was small, so I was happy to enjoy the other trees, as I waited patiently for the orange tree to mature.
I envisioned making fresh squeezed juice in the mornings with those sweet juicy oranges. Now, I just had to wait for that tree to grow…
Each year, though, it just didn’t seem to get much bigger. Why weren’t the fruits maturing? None were getting really any bigger then the size of a date.
Hhhmm… what was wrong with that tree?!
Clueless as I was, I chalked it up to a slow growing process.
About THREE YEARS passed and there wasn’t any change to speak of. At this point, probably a more astute person would have realized something else was going on, but this girl’s faith in that orange tree superseded any thoughts of logic. That little tree just needs some more time…
Then one day, as I contemplated my seemingly “slow” orange tree, the fog cleared from my orange-colored glasses and a thought occurred to me as startling as a squirt of citrus in the eye:
that orange tree is not an orange tree, it’s a KUMQUAT tree. Duh!
My orange tree dreams were quickly replaced with the excitement of having my very own kumquat tree. We already had been enjoying the kumquat’s from my neighbor’s tree-how could I have been so dense not to realize there was one right in front of my eyes?!
It’s all about the Power of Perception.
How we perceive things changes not only our view of the world, but how others view the world through our eyes.
Perception works on these two levels:
1. What seems at first like a DISAPPOINTMENT (ex: an impotent “orange” tree), becomes a huge WIN (ex: an abundant kumquat tree) simply by a change in your perception.
2. Other people’s perceptions can be changed when you are confident of YOUR perception.
The Power of Perception in your Business:
What set backs have you had that might be a blessing in disguise? What can you learn from a disappointment?
- Maybe you gained a better understanding of how to improve your services when you lost that customer.
- Could be you forced yourself to get past the fear of tech when you needed to get a website up fast, and couldn’t afford a designer.
- Or your business partner screwed you over, but you’ve bounced back and now feel more empowered than ever.
These are the net gains from a shift in perception:
- Confidence
- Experience
- Knowledge
- Skill
- Focus
Let’s look at point 2:
Ever feel like fraud or imposter in your business? That you don’t have enough knowledge or experience?
When you think that way about yourself, so will everyone else.
Shift your perception.
- Be confident in your abilities and others will follow suit.
- Present your products as valuable and others will see the value.
Your perception changes what impression your customers and clients will have.
It turns failures into success!
And the best part…you have the power to do this TODAY!
Kumquats are Cool
Now, back to the kumquats…
If you haven’t tasted kumquats before, you are missing out! The flesh of the fruit is a very tart citrus acidic flavor, so you must eat the sweet skin at the same time (but don’t eat the seeds). Since they are tiny, it’s easy to get a mouthful of both sweet and sour tastes in the same bite.
Not only are they delicious, but kumquats are considered a super food. The skin of the fruit contains limonoids, which research has shown to be a powerful anti-cancer fighter. They also contain Vitamin C, iron and fiber, among others in their nutritional profile. Tiny and mighty!
If you’re as lucky as we are to have access to these delectable delights, they’re an unexpected surprise to add to pilafs, juices, salsa and jellies.
Now, how’s your perception about kumquats?! You probably would have wanted an orange tree, too, until you found out how awesome kumquats are!
Ahhh the power of Perception! Turning a Kumquat Conundrum into a Kumquat Success!
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