Collaborating with the Enemy???

By Beverly Brown

How does the song go?
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🎶 “If you don’t know me by now……you will never, never, never, know me….” 🎶

Anyone remember that lyric?  Well, if you don’t then google it and discover that Simply Red released it in 1989; and if you’re REALLY nostalgic (like me) then let’s go back to Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes in 1972!  So why on earth was that the first thing that came to my mind regarding this quarter's magazine theme—Collaboration is the New Currency?

If you don’t know it all by now, then chances are you will never, never, never, know it all!  The truth is, we are NEVER in the know and the NOW at the same time, but there may be a way to remedy that.

As we travel through this (now) ready-set-go climate of on-line collaboration, we have to realize that if you are not collaborating with someone, something, somehow, someway—in some form or fashion, then chances are you are feeling a little stagnant; and likely a little left behind. Wake up Dreamers, you need someone else to HELP you bring your dream to pass!

Let’s explore the definition of COLLABORATE: 

>to work, one with another; cooperate, as in a literary work: They collaborated on a novel.

>to cooperate, usually willingly, with an enemy nation, especially with an enemy occupying one's country: He collaborated with the Nazis during World War II.

That second definition from Dictionary.com – very interesting. It even states to “cooperate” (usually [hopefully] willingly) with an enemy nation.  How powerful is that?  

Collaboration is so necessary that you may even need to collaborate with “the enemy” in order to achieve your goal. 

And what exactly does that mean to you—the Dreamer and Entrepreneur?

So, of course we should, first, explore the real definition of ENEMY:  

>a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another; an adversary or opponent.

>enemies, persons, nations, etc. that are hostile to one another: Let's make up and stop being enemies.

>something harmful or prejudicial: His unbridled ambition is his worst enemy.

>the Enemy, the Devil; Satan.
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Notice the last definition taken directly from Dictionary.com– the devil; Satan.

You mean to tell me that you may even have to collaborate with the devil?  “Dreamsteerer, are you crazy?” Absolutely, I’m not; and, yes, you may have to. As the saying goes, ‘what the devil meant for bad, God can turn into good’.

The best and classic story that comes to mind is that of Joseph and what his brothers did to him (collaborating with the devil) that turned out the best for not only his family but for an entire nation.  His brothers collaborated to destroy him and ended up selling him to someone else.  Once he was sold he found favor and became the leader of the King’s household.  Then the king’s wife collaborated with the men in the household to say that Joseph had defiled her and caused him to be sent back to prison. Again, he found favor among the guards of the prison and became a leader in prison. As a leader he collaborated with two prisoners to mention him to the King when he interpreted what their dreams were. Once they remembered to mention him to the King he was brought before the King and also interpreted the king's Dreams. This collaboration caused him to be even more recognized for his Dream interpretations as he described /predicted what was about to happen to the land over the next 7 years, and produced a bounty for the king as the land dried up.  This, in turn, caused his brothers to collaborate with their father to send them to Egypt to purchase food for their families.  Joseph then collaborated with them to bring his baby brother and father to him to bow before him (just as he had stated in his very FIRST vision to them).  

Whenever you have a goal, dream or vision, it may involve others that will help you in ways you never thought possible, and might even align with other Dreamers you never thought would or could be part of it.  Think about some of the people in your life that have participated in your Dream that you may have inadvertently or unknowingly collaborated with to achieve the final GOOD or GREAT outcome.

These same Dreamers were all a part of the bigger story, all from the very beginning.  Collaboration is the new currency because CURRENCY is defined as 

>something that is used as a medium of exchange; money.

>a time or period during which something is widely accepted and circulated.

>the fact or quality of being widely accepted and circulated from person to person.

Therefore, are you collaborating (connecting) to create the new method of currency (circulation) to get your Dream out to the new world?  If not now, you may never, never, ever have a chance to at all.

When considering the person or persons that wronged you, or the family member that sold you out, or the woman or man that lied, scorned, talked behind your back, and just, down right, hurt your heart - think again.  They may have done you the biggest favor in the world. Stay on YOUR path of GOOD and God will surely reward you in the presence of those same “wrong-doers” or “users”.   

He will always put people in your path that serve a greater purpose than you can imagine at the time. We must learn to interact (collaborate) with them in order to learn and gain something even more powerful in our advancement to the greatness that God has already ordained us to have. 

Thank you to Carmen Ray for collaborating with a great group of Dreamers to bring this Be Well Magazine to fruition with a great team of writers, editor, design and marketing geniuses – TRULY a great collaborative effort and I am proud to be part of it!