Every year I choose a personal theme, and in December I decided that 2010 would be the year of SCALE and REACH. Thus far, it’s been an accurate prediction—some days it’s all I can do just to try and keep up.
Lately, though, I’ve been thinking more about EMPOWERMENT than anything else. Empowerment, as I think of it, is all about the beautiful principle of transferring knowledge and helping people consider possibilities that previously seemed out of reach.
The best lesson to illustrate empowerment is through a selection from Hafiz, a Sufi poet from the 14th century. Consider:
The small man
Builds cages for everyone
He
Knows.
While the sage,
Who has to duck his head
When the moon is low,
Keeps dropping keys all night long
For the
Beautiful
Rowdy
Prisoners.
Most of us spend a lot of time building cages for those around us. This is accomplished by striving to make people small, so that we small men can feel bigger. Cage-building is protecting yourself and your interests, making yourself look good, and discouraging good ideas because you weren’t the one to come up with them.
Taking the credit for yourself, assigning the blame to others—that kind of thing. Mostly it involves thinking about the kingdom of Me.
Key-dropping, on the other hand, is making other people look good, building them up, expanding the pie. In other words, key-dropping is all about EMPOWERMENT, that beautiful thing of knowledge transfer and possibility.
Think about the times when someone has really helped you think or live differently. It was like they placed a key on the ground in front of you; you picked it up and unlocked a cage. (You had to open the cage yourself, of course, but it was a lot easier with a key.)
As I consider the work I’ve done over the past five years, I see a mixture of cage-building and key-dropping. As Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Accordingly, I see myself dropping more and more keys. But I can also see that I’ve built some cages. The course of action to change this is simple: build fewer cages; drop more keys.
What does that look like? Something like this:
- Before speaking up at a meeting, before sending an email, before publishing a blog post, whatever — ask the question, “Will this empower?”
- Give away your best work, and think about how you can give away even more of it
- Stop keeping score — or if you must keep score, make sure you’re always giving more than you take
- That thing you know how to do that everyone else marvels at? Show people how it’s really done.
You could probably think of examples that make more sense for your own situation. But whatever you do, don’t be the small man building cages. Be the sage, dropping keys for the prisoners.
What keys do you hold that could set a prisoner free? Why not start dropping those everywhere you go?
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Image: Bfick
February 8, 2010
Barbara Winter
This is absolutely lovely, Chris. Hafiz is one of my favorite teachers…a man who dropped a lot of keys. Thanks for sharing this.
February 8, 2010
Matt
Wow! This is such a great post on so many levels. I know that I have built quite a few cages throughout my life. I can recall many times hearing news about the success of others and rather than being excited for them my first thought was to find ways to dismiss their success. Often I have held back information that may have allowed those around me to grow and excel. Why did I do this? Am I so insecure that I have to do things to keep others at my level. For whatever reasons it’s been a hard mindset to overcome. I really do believe that in life you receive what you give. We are on this planet to serve others and to make a positive difference. As I go about my day I will definitely be thinking about whether my actions will empower.
February 8, 2010
Etsuko
I just read Gary Vaynerchuk’s “Crush It” and wrote a blog post on the plane to get to St.Louis. In my post I used the phrase “I felt like I’m trapped in a cage” (I wrote about getting out of it). After arriving here I saw this post. Serendipity?
You can build a cage, or drop a key for someone. You can also decide to get out of the cage you thought you were in. Yes, with a key it’s easier….but the most important part is to believe in that you can get out of it.
Thanks for sharing the beautiful poem!
February 9, 2010
Lara
Stunning post Chris!!
Love the question “Will this empower?”. So simple yet so profound.
I stand empowered and ready to empower.
Thank You!
February 9, 2010
tobias tinker
This is a beautiful, empowering post. You have captured the essence of this poem – well, I mean, the poem captures its own essence and is a small miracle: it teaches a profound and powerful truth and does the very thing it is talking about, in fewer words than I’ve used in this comment. Nevertheless, for those of us that need a bit more explanation, you’ve laid it out perfectly.
Thanks for that, it’s definitely put a great spin on a day that actually started with me beginning to realize, while writing my morning pages, how I can begin to do exactly what this post is about. Now I have a sharper lens to see it through. Empowerment, indeed!
February 9, 2010
Shauna
Thank you for this. It was exactly what I needed to hear……right here, right now.
I think I was a key dropper who felt she had run out of keys to drop, so she started building cages instead. Wow, how does that cynicism manage to sneak in so unnoticed? I think I’d like to reapply for my previous position of the key dropper.
You know, I think we get this idea in our heads that if we go from point A to point B, then point B must be the superior destination. Not always so. Just because you lost faith and became a cynic doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t return to the faith. It just means you need to discover what weakness lead you astray and learn from it. Repeatedly if necessary…..
February 9, 2010
Greg
Great quote and aptly stated. A complimentary quote from Ghandi may be, “Be the change you want to see in the world”! thank you for being the change you want to see in the world! Namaste and many blessings
Greg
February 9, 2010
Kenneth Tabak
Excellent article Chris,
I have found out that giving more away than you receive helps people in the world much more than focusing on the traditional what’s in it for me. As the old saying goes, “Never take more than you give”. Keep up the good work…
February 9, 2010
Tim Hadley
Thank you, Chris. This comes at a good time, when I’m trying to learn how best to open not only others’ cages, but my own as well. This key is much appreciated!
February 9, 2010
Laura Grace Weldon
That’s one of my favorite passages by Hafiz.
It helps me to see each aspect of daily work as worthwhile. Whether putting out an article on deadline, hauling hay on our farm or teaching a class I can treat who (or what) I’m working with in an honorable, even reverent way. Why not?
“You who have the light, what are you doing with it?” Paul Claudel
February 9, 2010
Sonia
Beautiful piece of writing. It gave me to have another perspective to see the purpose of our existence in this world. Have been introduced to your blog by a friend just a few minutes back and I now look forward to discovering many more such brilliant thoughts.
February 9, 2010
Bonnie McDermott
I found I was in a cage. “Stuck in a job that sucked.” Someone drop the key for me and I have started to open the gate. Though as I am moving out of the job that sucked I no longer find it as unbearable. Now I see in that job I have keys to drop and young people to help from allowing themselves to be caged.
February 9, 2010
Jerry Wellman
this contains a key to the inevitable (and probably current) paradigm shift for the evolution of our species and our society. Lovely posting. I especially love mystic poetry and particularly the muslim, mystics Rumi and Hafiz. Lord knows, the Islamic world needs pay heed, honor, promote and celebrate these incredible, wonderful poets that speak to all of us.
February 9, 2010
Alison
Thank you for sharing this little gem of knowledge. For some reason it seems easier to build cages and “protect” yourself, but reading through your post I started thinking about the keys I could be dropping and how that might change my perspective. again, thanks.
February 9, 2010
Bill
Great post – love the idea and helped me look at some things I did today to make sure I was leaving behind keys. Can be tough at times in a big company, but clearly the right attitude to have.
February 9, 2010
tamara
Chris, that is amazing stuff to ponder and so well put! I’m really glad you are fond of Hafiz, he is my favorite poet and sage.
Here’s to the key droppers revolution!
Oh, and thank you so so much for my 30th happy birthday video clip- you and my boyfriend are the kind of guys that know what soulful key dropping is all about
February 9, 2010
The Bear Wallah
An absolutely profound piece of writing Chris.
Just recently, from an unexpected source, a key was dropped at my cage door. The door didn’t open by itself, I had to do the work to get the key to open the door, but open it did: slowly, wonderfully. To a new world of possibilities and freedom.
The cage was a dreadful place: physically, emotionally, spiritually. And the realisation that I was judge, prisoner and warder, and had agreed to my own imprisonment. How many of us do this, to ourselves, or let others do it to us? Lock ourselves in the ‘safety’ of a cage.
My small wish is that the future lets me drop some keys to release those beautiful and rowdy prisoners from their cages, whether those cages are built and policed by themselves or others.
February 9, 2010
Carolee
Thank you for this post Chris! I needed to hear this, esp. right now. I’m working on a total life redesign and I needed to remember that I have to be a “key dropper” to feel like I’m being authentic.
February 9, 2010
Ridlon Kiphart
Chris, bad ass. Amen brother.
February 10, 2010
jen
so validating and inspirting. and, the stephen crane poem left by one of your readers – a real addition.
February 10, 2010
Steve Scott Site
Liked this article Chris. Definitely aggree with the idea of giving value to people before asking anything in return. I feel like the more you can help others the more people will naturally want to return the favor and help you out. And I also agree that it’s important to not keep score with the people you provide value to. Just keep giving and trust that eventually it’ll be returned to you.
February 10, 2010
Darrell Davis
Love the post. As a life long community activist, I know that “key-droppers” are often considered trouble makers. When you seek to empower, those already empowered often take offense. Just look at the history of some of the great key-droppers.
February 10, 2010
Brandy Harrington
Good timing, got thoroughly caged this week by a petty, frightened supervisor. Took this post for me to realize that she couldn’t keep me there. She may have built it, but only my belief in the bars was keeping me there.
Somehow, it helps to think that her mean-ness stems from fear. I am able to take it less personally.
Thanks to Chris, I have escape plans A, B, and C and I just have to be patient and work hard, and someday, I’ll never have to go back. To my job anyway–I’m sure being caged is a lifelong hazard to gaurd against.
February 11, 2010
Jennifer Moore
Wow. This describes most of the supervisors under whom I’ve worked over my entire career (building cages) and even corporate culture in general, in my experience! LOL!
February 11, 2010
Jennifer Moore
This truly was one of your best posts, all snark aside.
I try to drop keys everywhere, all the time. That is why I write. That is why I share some of my poetry openly on my blogs. When I know that my art or my writing has touched someone, I feel blessed.
I try to drop keys in all areas of my life. When I see people pick them up and use them, that is a much greater reward than anything else I can think of.
Thanks for the keys, BTW!
February 12, 2010
Lina
I opened an e-mail from “key dropper” Elizabeth Potts Weinstein …and I found a key among the many keys she dropped that lead me to this site…thank you Elizabeth…and you Chris for writing/dropping keys… I needed this today!
February 13, 2010
Neil J Lloyd
I have worked with both key droppers and cage builders within organisations and in my freelance work. In every case a key dropping culture has enjoyed more success, in productivity and financial terms as well as more human terms
February 22, 2010
Jeff Tong
Chris, Thank you for this dropped key. Sometimes we meander off the path of empowering others and need to be reminded. I try to drop a key everyday and hope that the person that sees it will hopefully pick it up and be free.
I think this is a great tip: “Give away your best work, and think about how you can give away even more of it”.
How do you know when to not give it away for free?
February 22, 2010
Peter
This is beautiful, Chris. I have your site listed in the links section of mine, but I need to check in here more often myself. This dropping keys concept – and poem – is really what we (many of us) are doing. Thanks again.
February 23, 2010
Malwina
Sharing these beautiful thoughts on empowerment is very empowering as such… One of my themes lately has been living out of fear (“building cages”) vs. living out of love, with an open heart (“dropping keys”), so your writing feels very inspiring. Thanks a lot!
June 14, 2010
Joe Breunig
Another marvelous post; was not familiar with ‘key dropping’ prior to your article. I’m all for empowerment; being a professional in I.T. for many years, I have ‘broken the mold’ and willingly shared information with peers/co-workers. Most times, the looks that I received were a combination of fear and surprise. On rare occasions, some would ask why I did it. My reply – companies tend to be more willing to retain people who are willing and able to train others. It may sound or seem silly, yet many people are STILL afraid to speak in front of others. One great way to get over this fear is by tutoring individuals and then gradually move up to larger crowds.
June 14, 2010
Ceil
Excellent poem. I’ve always said I never keep score because I might be losing. If I don’t know I’m loosing I might win anyway.
I hate cages and yet I have probably built a few with out intending.
Fear, the strongest cage of all silences us with invisible cords of steel.
August 5, 2010
Karen
Very lovely. Excellent question: “Will this empower?” Thanks for the empowerment!
September 9, 2010
michelle
Thanks for the inspiration. I love quotations about empowerment.
September 27, 2010
mrs button
this is a beautiful, positive, uplifting place to be. thank you.