Too short, too tall, too big, too small. The struggle to be right sized has been a lifelong endeavor. How do I measure up? This seemed to fluctuate as often as the wind. Ironically, the exception to the rule in most cases was being content and feeling right sized. Years ago, I was given the advice that I am perfect in my creators eyes. Although this did not set in instantly, overtime I have come to appreciate this thought. I believe in this world that there is a kind energy; this kind energy has me exactly as I am today. Although I’m not perfect at this process, I do practice, and the result is a feeling of connection and togetherness.I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been in a conversation with people, who want to create an event. One of the key elements is, what size? Or rather what guest attendance should we have? This can be a very challenging topic, outside of the obvious complexity. Guest count can affect budget, planning and production time. There are other determining criteria that often can weigh even more heavily. Who do we want to invite? And who are we required to invite or obligated to invite? And what will the results be? In some circumstances the results are in line with your expectations, however in others they are in conflict. I have seen it both ways, whether the goal is to create an intimate or a grand happening, due to outside social or professional obligatory factors, as well as preconceived event expectations. The guest count doesn’t seem to line up with the vision that you had in mind.
I correlate this to my own challenges of being right sized. Let’s play a little exercise and look back on significant happenings in your life, for most of us those happenings are going to fall over a wide range of happening sizes. The reason for this is because an events success isn’t dictated by its size, but rather by the group experience. When creating your happening, I suggest you look at the high side and the low side of guest attendance. When determining a high and low, try to be as conservative as possible, the less significant the range is the better the results will be. Getting the right balance of guests in a happening is a lot like making a flower arrangement. You want to make sure your space (vase) is in proportion to your guest count (flower count). Once the appropriate balance is achieved for these two factors, the pre determined varying amount of guests (flowers) would not ultimately affect the end result. However if we don’t pay attention to this, the result can have an effect similar to a poorly made floral arrangement. If the space (vase) is too big, it can overwhelm the group (flowers), and make the happening (arrangement) less impactful. Conversely the results can be equally devastating.
We all can relate to stopping into a restaurant at peak time and finding all the tables and chairs empty, instantly our perception of the restaurant and our energy changes. And yes there are times where this can be appealing, however that is typically the exception to the rule. When planning events you want to not be thinking about the exceptions to the rule, but stay within the rule. When I follow these principles in life, as in event planning, the results are consistent. By embracing the reality of any situation, and letting go of my expectations, I immerse myself in the options that my creator has so gracefully provided. I am always immensely pleased with the results and grateful to be a part of the process. Connect and embrace your group in togetherness and it will be just the right size for you!
