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| Photo by el alce web on Unsplash |
Now, can you please tell me…of all the things you wrote on your list, what do they all have in common…?
…Yes, my friend...rubber bands are ONLY useful when they are stretched.
Growth stops when you lose the tension between where you are and where you could be.
That’s the Law of the Rubber Band.
… All living things grow and that growth requires stretching.
My coach and mentor John C. Maxwell says:
“True life begins at the end of our comfort zone, and we arrive there by stretching.”
If I were to ask the question: Do you want to grow?
How would YOU respond?
I believe it would be a resounding yes, I want to grow!
But the truth of the matter is that for most of us, we avoid any form of pressure because we don’t want to feel uncomfortable.
You see, we have been taught that comfort is a place to be desired and strived for.
You would not be where you are and who you are today without some form of tension or stretching taking place.
For many, the thought is, when I graduate from high school, college, or pass that certification I have arrived, and I can now stop being stretched.
I think the truth is that we should continue growing throughout our lives. But with growth comes discomfort and initially pain.
What we felt in school was, the tension to do enough to get that diploma. It can easily be described as, …
The tension between where you were and where you wanted to be … couldn’t it?
So, what did you do? You did just enough to get by … right?
Perhaps some of you are like me, all I wanted to do was get out of school because my thought was, once I get out of school, I will not have to feel all this pressure. I mean after all, where and when will I use all this stuff anyway?
Unrealized potential equals lost opportunities to impact your team, your company, and the world.
We can all work together to change the world – as silly, as unrealistic, and as cliché as that sounds – we can truly make an impact on the world if we have commitment, a sense of urgency, and work together to accomplish it.
So how do we do that?
In one of my calls with John, he gave me seven benefits to tension that I would like to share today.
Here’s a quick overview...
1. Few People Ever Want to Be Stretched – It is literally like saying to your employer, I know I am overqualified, but I promise to only use half of my ability.
Most people use only a fraction of their ability and rarely if ever try to reach their full potential.
When was the last time you learned something new for the first time?
2. Avoid Settling for The Status Quo – Most people are satisfied to settle into their comfort zone of life falling into familiar patterns and habits they have learned from those around them.
Being in the comfort zone may feel good and feel safe but it will lead to mediocrity and ultimately dissatisfaction.
It takes real courage to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. No one remembers average people.
3. Stretching Is an Inside Job – The real process of growth begins with your thoughts. Those thoughts then become words and the words become actions.
James Allen says: “You cannot travel within and stand still without.”
Think about it! All life, except mankind, grows to its full potential.
It’s only mankind that circumvents the process. How tall will a tree grow? A tree doesn’t decide to stop growing, it continues growing all its life. This inside job is an internal measurement that allows you to evaluate where you are against what you are capable of.
4. Stretching Always Requires Change – Change is always a challenge because it propels us out of a place of comfort. You can’t improve and avoid change at the same time! We must stop looking over our shoulder at what was and start focusing on what is.
I find it interesting that you usually will not find a successful person who isn’t restless in some way.
And to quote George Elliot, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
If you are still satisfied with what you did five years ago, then you are not growing.
5. Stretching Sets You Apart from Others – Have you noticed that people seem to have become satisfied with mediocrity?
This is about a personal concession to be less than your best. I find it so interesting that excellence seems to be further and further away from the accepted norms of society.
Successful people set themselves apart from the crowd by going over and above what others do. As you stretch and get better you will be able to affect and infect others who will follow your lead, and everyone will become better as a result.
6. Stretching Can Become a Lifestyle – When you stop stretching you stop growing. I for one am going to continue stretching and growing as long as I’m on the planet. There is no place for me personally to stop and rest on my laurels because all living things continue growing and it only happens by being stretched.
Make stretching yourself a daily routine.
7. Stretching Gives You a Shot at Significance –You see if you are going to grow yourself you must first know yourself.
What is the gap between good and great? Could it be that our ability to close that gap is directly related to our willingness to be stretched?
Who are you having a positive impact on today? Who is it that you have intentionally invested in today that is making a difference in them and you?
Would you like to make a difference, doing something that makes a difference, at a time that makes a difference, with people who make a difference?
People who are committed to stretching themselves will make a difference.
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