The Importance of Staying Inside Your Unique Ability(R)

I start this post with high praise for my good friend - Julia Waller of Strategic Coach in Toronto, Ontario. Julia took a day with me in January to do what she does better than anyone on the planet. She helps entrepreneurs identify their Unique Ability(R). In other words, she works with a business owner to bring into focus that unique thing or group of things he or she does - not just in business - but in all of life. You find out what that is, and then delegate, outsource or eliminate everything else.

Which brings me to - you guessed it - HOME REPAIRS.

To be more specific . . . PLUMBING.

I will try not being prideful in saying that I am - - - well - - - a pretty good plumber - - - no - - - I am an EXCELLENT plumber.

Excellent. Excellent in the way Kim Kardashian is a gifted concert pianist, or Newt Gingrich is a successful Thighmaster owner.

You get the idea.

My Reason for Living asked me to have the kitchen faucet replaced. Being the national poster child for high testosterone levels, I not only got her a new one, but decided to install it myself.

The guy at Home Depot said it was a one-tool job. How hard could it be?

My Reason for Living, and our daughter - She Upon Whom Sun and Moon Rise and Set - went out for the evening.

My wife expressed the opinion that SUWSAMRAS was building her vocabulary fast enough without the addition of - - - ER - - - more advanced words.

Okay. Have a nice time.

I carefully removed the various cleaning products from under the sink - organizing them for a neat replacement upon completion of the project.

Then, I shut off the water to the sink. Next, I took the tool suggested as the only one needed, and disconnected the lines from the sink to the water supply.

So far, no worries!

I got out from under the sink and began working the old faucet to pull it off.

It was not coming off.

I looked again and discovered, to my surprise, that the faucet was secured by a couple of - pay attention here, my storehouse of home repair knowledge is about to gush - a couple of twisty-things that were so far up another tool - NOT THE ONE TOOL THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO DO THE JOB.

My family would be gone for at least another hour.

I am now left with three choices -

1. Drive like a bat out of hell to Home Depot, in hopes of getting the OTHER one tool that would be needed to do the job.

2. Contort my body and complete the job without the other tool - - - and I could expect success just about the time Kim Kardashian's book on How to Marry for Life is released.

3. Suppress my pride, protect my confidence, and help my daughter maintain a quality vocabulary. This I would do by suggesting to my wife, that the faucet is lovely, and deserves a professional installation.

I chose number three.

My Unique Ability includes among other things, the ability to ask questions that transport others to a point in time that repesents a bigger and better future.

Plumbing is not really inside that definition.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to go listen to Kim Kardashian's rendition of Mozart's Opus No. 40.

And where is my Thighmaster?