What happens when we use light hands?

Do you hold on with light or tight hands?  Sometimes I think I hold on too tightly to my opinions, my plans, my relationships, my possessions and even life itself.  Sometimes I do not hold on at all. What if we are meant to hold on with light hands? 

We have two puppies at my workplace that are always being picked up and cuddled, whether they like it or not.  Some people hold on with very tight hands and the puppies can barely wriggle.  Others hold on with light hands.  The puppies never seem to complain but they do hide.  I have noticed that they are more likely to respond to and even come out of hiding for those with the light hands. 

When we use light hands, we allow space for reciprocity, serendipity, creativity, growth and for grace.  Tight hands are confining and closed and rarely allow any space for movement.  We miss out when we hold on with tight hands. 

I am a planner and an organiser.  I have noticed over time that when I plan and organise with lighter hands the more room there is for something far greater to develop than I could have ever imagined or designed.  At times it feels and even looks a little chaotic and messy, but it also has the potential for something beautiful to grow.  When I plan with tight hands I squeeze out the opportunity for others to bloom and for the Divine to work in this space. 

I feel the pressure in work and in life to plan with measurable, quantitative outcomes and as a result feel compelled to work with tight hands to execute these plans. Tight hands are limiting hands and belong to a world of ‘cannots’.  I would need to let go of being right, of getting it right, expecting others to get it right and of making it ‘stack up’.  What if instead, I was to work with light hands to provide a space for others to grow and God’s grace to manifest.  I could focus on possibilities and relationships, foster collaboration and imagination and be delightfully surprised with the result-or not.  Light hands are hands of possibilities and a world of ‘cans’.  As Martin and Golsby-Smith said in their article “Management is much more than science”,  “In the can world, the relevant data doesn’t exist because the future hasn’t happened yet.”

This week, will you be brave enough to hold life and your plans with light hands and see what develops?