Being the self-confessed grammar nazi/spelling enforcer/English afficiendo that I am,
I take a truly nerdy delight in the “word of the day” emails that land in my inbox every morning.
Seriously, it’s kinda pathetic at how chuffed I am if I know the word already!
Anyway, today my word was
sprezzatura
I was instantly and totally smitten by this lusciously descriptive addition to my vocabulary.
S P R E Z Z A T U R A
Doesn’t that sound delicious?
Don’t you just love the idea of being able to make money/dance the tango/deal with the kids
with effortless grace and yawn-worthy nonchalance?
We’ve all seen them … the people who don’t seem to work at all and yet manage to
create vast empires or breathtaking art. (Danielle LaPorte and Marie Forleo come to mind)
(And I have to admit, they’re also secretly as annoying as hell when you’ve been battling for two days with a sales page that just. won’t. work.)
Sprezzatura is apparently very easy to spot in everyone else.
But, you know what, sweetiepie?
I bet there’s already something that YOU do with sprezzatura.
Something you do divinely well without a second thought.
Something that’s so easy for you you can’t understand why anyone has a problem with it.
Something so stupidly simple for you to whip up that you can’t understand why anyone would want you to teach or show them how to do it!!
(THAT’S the important bit, by the way! In case you didn’t notice.)
This is what the people-that-name-these-things call
unconscious competence.
And sweetheart, I also bet that you usually dismiss it with offhand comments like …
“Oh, it was easy.”
Which is also usually code for “therefore it can’t be worth anything.”
Ha! Soooooo not true!
Today, darling heart, I want you to notice,
really, really notice
what you do with sprezzatura …
and appreciate yourself for it!!!
No dissing yourself, not even silently,
but especially out loud.
And especially, ESPECIALLY not to anyone else.
No shrugging off the compliments.
No devaluing your achievements because of a
perceived lack of effort.
Even better …. make a list of everything that you find easy to be good at.
- Add in those things people usually admire you for.
- Don’t forget the things you’ve been doing so long that you don’t realize you’ve mastered them.
- Add in your hobbies, your work skills, your house skills, your parenting skills, your lovemaking skills.
- Add everything and anything you know you’re better-than-the-average-bear at.
Now, scan through that list and see if there’s anything you could write an article about. Or make a how-to video on.
And then get off your butt and Do It!
NOW! While you’re still in awe of your own brilliance!!
Angel, the thing that you’re naturally good at,
your area of sprezzatura
is your key to a life of bliss and ease.
(Click to tweet this link)
This is where the do-what-you-love-and-you’ll-never-work-again idea
comes into play.
Because doing those things is fun!
And easy!
And productive!
And helpful to anyone you share it with.
And the rest of us are waiting for you to do it.
Or show us how.
And we’re willing to pay you for both.
Oodles of bliss-ings
PS so what did you come up with on your list? Anything you’d like us to brainstorm as to how to make it pay??
Put it into the comments below and let’s play!!