Today I found myself wandering the cavernous warehouse hallways of my neighborhood “Homes-Are-Everything” store. I went to the store to buy a paintbrush but got distracted.
As I walked through the moving sliding door entrance, I was stared down by a ginormous blue sign with substantial white letters hanging from the rafters. The sign said APPLIANCES.
I needed a break in my day, so I took a quick stroll towards the sign. I soon was lost in what looked like a city of “appliance-scrapers” lined up next to each other tall and shining like the kind of things tour guides point out when you’re visiting a new city. But these things were refrigerators.
I had barely fixed my eyes on a nice shiny black one when Jennie appeared. Jennie was the helpful “ask me anything” lady who worked in APPLIANCES. Jennie was cool; she liked refrigerators; I could tell. I told her I was curious about the latest refrigerators for sale for fun. I learned a lot from Jennie.
She quickly explained that these days you can buy Side-by-Side Fridges, Bottom Freezer Refrigerators, Counter-Depth Refrigerators, and even French Door Refrigerators. I found out I could get a fridge with a multi-purpose drawer that could freeze things or simply keep them cool at my command. I had no idea about any of this.
It turns out “storage” is a big deal for refrigerators. There seemed no end to storage compartments in the units Jennie showed me.
Speaking of storage. Jennie explained in addition to outer dimensions, refrigerators are sold according to the inside storage capacity for each unit. They call this capacity “cubic feet.” I imagine so many “cubes” fit inside any given refrigerator based on its capacity. Jennie told me I could buy a small apartment-style refrigerator with a capacity of six or eight cubic feet, for example. She also mentioned that people sometimes buy giant commercial refrigerators with a capacity of 40 cubic feet or more! Right there in refrigerator alley with Jennie showing me the latest lettuce crisper, something came together for me!
Capacity is universal. It’s a concept that applies to refrigerators, automobiles, corporations, and people. Of course, humans have capacities. Some people run faster than others. Tall people reach things that shorter people can’t. Analytical people trouble-shoot details that visionary people bypass.
When I met Jennie, I had been chewing on the idea of “INNER PERSONAL CAPACITY” as an idea I could teach to help people live purposeful lives.
I also heard these words drop from heaven into my lap during some quiet time.
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”
I recognized that sentence from someplace in the bible, googled it, and found it in Matthew 12:34. I was reminded that whatever we carry on the inside of ourselves shows up outside of our lives. Relationships, careers, vocations, lifestyles, and even things like life legacies are all affected by what we carry on the inside as human beings.
Between my research, the nudge of Matthew 12:34, and today’s visit with Jennie, I was more convinced than ever that it’s a good idea to talk about Inner Personal Capacity.
To continue on this personal journey of Capacity. Download the e-book Unpacking Inner Personal Capacity for FREE click here.
This e-book is one of several articles, inspirational ideas, and self-help tools associated with a training series known as People on Purpose.
The People on Purpose program teaches individuals how to intentionally understand and engage in their own personal destiny to improve themselves and the world we live in.
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