The Importance of Challenge
Did you know that good is the enemy of great? At least that is what James Collins wrote in his book Good to Great. He believes that we settle for good in our life, in our relationships and in our businesses. Good distracts us from what we are really capable of and keeps a great life just out of reach.
Well that is garbage. It is well intended but it is a limited point of view. Living a good life does not keep us from realizing our greatness. The truth is that we do not raise the bar for ourselves. We avoid challenging ourselves because of what we would need to face internally to actually achieve our dreams. Instead of using our imaginative power to create the life we envision we use our imagination to worry, to blame, to isolate, to hold back and to inevitably justify why we have given up on our greatness. We give up on our dreams because of fear and a brilliant ability to make it sound good.
If you think I am being derogatory or insensitive you are right. I am, but I am doing so on purpose. My intention is to get your attention; to wake you up from the perfunctory morass of where your habits have lead you. We all deserve a life beyond our habits, because our true nature is so much more than that. You are capable of living a truly extraordinary life.
So what will it take? You will have to raise the bar in your life. You will have to raise the stakes and be relentless in your pursuit. When you do this your mind will desperately try to knock you back down to good, back to what is familiar. Your mind will spin incredible reasons for you to get back to what you know, back to where you “belong”. You will need to surround yourself with a community that will stop co-signing your garbage. This is when you must begin to unhook from your reasons.
Don’t trust your own mind, this is where it gets tricky. This is where your support community becomes vital. Invest in having people in your life who see that you are capable of more than you think. Make sure you have a support structure to be with you in this process. Engage a community of people committed to living beyond their reasons. These are the people that will work with you to help you unhook from what is familiar.
It is not an easy process and so few people commit to living an extraordinary life because it includes extraordinary courage and vulnerability. It will not happen by circumstance alone, to go after it requires a choice.
What will you do?
About the Author – Cassie Crow, Productive Learning Trainer
My mission in life is to create a space where deeper truths can be discovered in a way that leaves myself and others to feel fully alive and completely unstoppable.
I believe that life happens for us, not to us. Everything in our life is a learning opportunity and a gift to be celebrated. That understanding has lead me to some incredible experiences that shape the way I lead workshops and live my life.
I received a Bachelor’s Degree in 2007 and my MBA in 2009. After attending Beyond Reasons in 2009 I knew I had found my life’s calling. After undergoing a two year training program lead by Productive Learning’s Founder, Lindon Crow, I have now been a trainer for over six years, helping to change hundreds of people’s lives. To speak with Cassie, feel free to email her at Cassie@ProductiveLearning.com or call (949) 542-8436.
For more information on how we can help your business hit new heights, please fill out the form below:
[Form id=”11″]