We get good at the things we practice. It is what we’re told since we were kids. Practice practice practice. And there are many examples for which we know it’s true. If we want to be a great dancer or performer, we practice our exercises and focus on our training routine. If we want to be a great tennis player, we practice religiously out on the court. There will be challenges that have to be faced and sacrifices that have to be made. But if it is what we want to do, we will push through it and come up stronger and more successful.
It’s common sense, right? Or maybe not…
Let’s say we want to be happy, but instead we constantly complain about all that is wrong in our lives; this would essentially be improving our complaining and our ability to find faults. Eventually, we get so good at complaining because it is all we’ve been practicing, but we are miles away from our goal of being happy.
I am often hesitant and extra careful to write about handling problems in life because I am fully aware that sometimes they can be (or seem to be) monumental with no way to fix them. There is nothing wrong with talking about and dealing with any issues that can (and will) come up from time to time. Whether you do that by meditating, going to therapy, or having a big girl cry on the floor, whatever you do to help get through a rough phase is okay. However, when the phase turns into something more and the issues become all-consuming and take over your ability to see everything else that is good in your life, that is when you may be heading down the wrong way. No matter what it is you are dealing with, there is always something to be thankful for.
Looking at this another way, we pray for strength and we pray for patience and we pray for humility. But as soon as we are faced with anything that requires us to be strong or patient, or something that bruises our ego, we fall apart, we complain, we fight and we refuse to acknowledge and take the opportunity to practice the skill in which we asked to grow.
What if your dance teacher never challenged you with more advanced moves or choreographies that pushed your body and mind? Do you think you will ever become the great dancer you dream of? Or what if you only versed amateur tennis players, though you may win every game, do you think you will ever improve your personal skill and be the best you can be?
Wherever you are at in your life, as soon as you get comfortable, you must know it’s time for a change. Nothing develops or grows in the comfort zone. Nothing flourishes there. Nothing excites there. Nothing lasts there. So, why seek to be comfortable? But get this; there is nothing wrong with being the smartest person in the room if you are sharing your skills with people and motivating and inspiring them to be better. In fact, I would actually support and encourage you to do that if you have the capacity to! But, if your aim is to always be the smartest person in every room, how will you ever be better or improve yourself?
So, what am I saying?
Help yourself so you may help others. Motivate yourself so you may motivate others. Lead by example. Be authentic. Be enlightened. Be kind.
I would love to hear what you guys think about this post and I invite you to please leave your comments if you feel comfortable doing so.
Bye for now!