I serve as an advocate for people with developmental disabilities. One of the biggest frustrations I face is when someone I am working with shows a fair amount of potential to really make some progress in developing additional independence in their lives. However, for some reason, those working with that person cannot figure out how to bring out that potential.
Perhaps the biggest frustration that I have is not working with people with disabilities, but working with other advocates. I am currently working on a project with a person that has many brilliant ideas. However, this person is also very control-hungry and often "bails out" on projects when things do not go exactly as they want them to. Thus, many people don't even bother working with this person. As a result, much of this person's brilliance does not see the light of day.
Here is the analogy: Brazil nuts. Brazil nuts are incredibly tasty. However, their shells are very difficult to crack. When you do crack one, the entire nut often explodes. So, when people have a hankering for nuts, they will search out peanuts, almonds, cashews - even though Brazil nuts might taste better.
How many Brazil nuts are in our life? Do we include ourselves in this category?
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