"If I want to go further and to become a better version of myself, to grow beyond who I am now and to expand what I know now, I have to go where it hurts, where I am not comfortable yet".
He says that while smiling, as if it would be the most natural thing to say, and his beautiful big, blue eyes smile as well.
He really means it, and I am impressed.
To me, it is always inspiring having a chance to talk to someone that shares the same growth mentality I have chosen for myself many years ago, someone that is not afraid to embrace the Kaizen concept of "continuous improvement" and to go for it on a daily basis, even if it hurts, probably also because it hurts.
[Kaizen ("continuous improvement") symbols,
that combine the one for "change" with the one for "good"]
Growing pains can hurt, and yet experiencing them is a necessary part of the process.
In order to grow, your muscle fibers need to be first "broken" and damaged while being subjected to positive stress, like during an intense workout, and then to be repaired and to outgrow the previous version of themselves in strength or number, or even both. It hurts, in the short run. And yet it prepares you to go further and to improve your performance in the long run.
Until the next workout. Until the next muscle pain. Until the next step.
It's the same in every area of your life:
Stepping out of your own comfort zone can hurt. Changing can hurt. Being brave can hurt.
Are you willing to go where it could hurt, if the reward would be worth it?
This one is for Oliver N.
Tags: Kaizen, Growth mentality, Embracing change, Growing pains
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