February 10, 2012
This week, I was reminded of a line from Tim Burton’s 2010 cinematic remake of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, “Alice in Wonderland.” The line was spoken by the Mad Hatter to a discouraged Alice. He said, “You used to be much more…muchier. You’ve lost your muchness.”
Put another way, Alice, to the Mad Hatter’s appraisal, was not herself. The Mad Hatter’s diagnosis of Alice had to do with her diminished enthusiasm, vim, or swagger. She had apparently lost her groove. And the Mad Hatter knew it. When we lose our muchness it affects our performance in ways that are apparent to others.
That’s the point for the week.
To me, the upper limit of muchness could be described as wholeness. Whatever causes us to feel less whole or complete detracts from our muchness. Some form of adversity is usually at the heart of our lessness. Hard times, if we let them, chip away at the very essence of who we are.
It’s overtly clear when our muchness is on the wane. We walk differently, with less pace and purpose. We talk differently, with less force and confidence. We carry ourselves differently, with less spark and passion. When we do, people notice – as much for the difference in the way we act as for the reduction in what we accomplish.
On the other hand, when we’re complete, when we are full of muchness, it’s just as clear. We walk, talk, and act with eagerness, urgency, and fearlessness that propel us forward with force and speed, and with a magnetism that attracts others to our work and inspires them to follow.
As a result, we accomplish more, because we bring more of ourselves and others to every moment.
Muchness, like much else in life, is a choice. When we allow things beyond our control – such as supply, distribution choices, pricing actions, or brand rationalization – to impact our attitude and countenance, we’ll lose more.
But when we attack each day with a sense of wholeness — with much muchness — we’ll achieve a sense of wonder, courage, and optimism that produces a wholehearted belief that all things are possible and that obstacles, however great, are little more than diversions on a road to a future filled with more.
(Re)Find your muchness.
And win.
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