Hi Friend
Sometimes weeks are more personally rewarding and sometimes more professionally rewarding. This week the professional side triumphed. Monica spoke to a group of 700 middle schoolers. She’s so talented, gifted and fantastic with teenagers! The next day, John and I were on the same docket for a conference. That felt amazing! One day ALL THREE OF US will be on the same ticket.
Also, my biz coach gave me an entirely different framework for considering our finances. Just our second month in and we hit our goal, which I didn’t think would happen in October. I’m super grateful. It’s amazing how simply looking at the same data through an altogether different lens, enables you to make decisions you wouldn’t otherwise.
My personal life rallied as well, because I got to ride bikes with my friend Matt. He had seen posts from my previous rides at bluff creek. He invited me to ride with him at Arcadia, which I like, but doesn’t seem as treacherous as bluff creek. I was super grateful he asked me to join him though. I thought it might be less-than-thrilling because the trails are much flatter.
I WAS WRONG! He took me on a trail I hadn’t been on before and went at a speed I could barely keep up with(& frequently didn’t). It was an absolute blast! I was exhausted, spent and peddled my booty off. I loved it! He had a new bike which seemed to just glide with barely a push on the pedal. It contrasted the effort I was making!
My perspective about myself changed!
Before we started I told him I don’t normally get to ride with anyone, so I just go as fast as I can and have fun. Turns out I haven’t been going as fast as I can… AT ALL! Holy smokes, I’ve been taking it easy on myself and I didn’t realize it! Watching him and keeping up with him immediately revealed I’ve been taking joy rides. I wasn’t pushing myself. I wasn’t exerting fully. I wasn’t giving my all. I don’t know what I was doing but I know I wasn’t doing THAT.
Have you had that epiphany? Thought pretty well of yourself and then got around someone who was simply superior? It wasn’t an unhealthy comparison, but a recognition that what you thought was strong, might be weak? I LOVED IT. I was challenged and inspiredwhile having a great time.
I need to be around more people who inspire me by them just being themselves. I say that, but I actually do have a handful of people in my life who live in such a way, that it provokes me to question my aliveness and contribution. Attributes they possess…
Deeply loves people and sincerely loves God.
Leans-in heart-first to every hard conversation & won’t shy away.
Accomplishes big dreams in style and with apparent ease.
Thinks broadly, considers alternatively and continually leaves room for the unimagined.
Lives a work/life balance that tilts heavy to the life side.
Leads with a grace and approachability that you can’t help but admire profoundly.
Cares in the most practical ways which lifts every interaction to joy.
I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses. Not only am I drawn to people who are better than me in my areas of weakness, I am equally attracted to those with whom I share strengths; and they just happen to be a LOT MO’BETTER. They don’t intimidate me, they intrigue me. I want to figure out how to be as good as them.
I have so many amazing people in my life it’s like a free ride on the Humble Train. Frequently, I am able to keep my ego in check because in every area of my life, I see a greatness I don’t inhabit. I don’t walk around with my mouth gaping open, but I genuinely am in awe of the caliber of people in my orbit. Look around yours, I hope you see and feel the same!
Instigating Ideas…
1. Go spend quality time with someone you admire.
2. Assess those in your sphere and describe one strong attribute about each one.
3. Ride a bike!
4. Recognize an area in your life you may be overestimating.
I worked hard to keep up on the trail. When left to ourselves our pursuit may lose urgency and intensity and we not even realize it. When something hasn’t materialized in your life have you ever thought “why is this taking me so long?” You feel like you’re doing everything you can but just aren’t seeing progress? It’s scary how much slack we cut ourselves.
Who are you trying to keep up with?
That phrase has mostly negative connotations as if you’re in a jealous pursuit of the Joneses. Quite the contrary. I’m suggesting if you and I don’t have someone in our sites, both professionally and personally, who make this treacherous trail look easy, we WILL relent. We will tell ourselves we’re peddling as fast as we possibly can. It just might not be true.
I would love to hear how you keep yourself motivated towards achieving dreams in your heart. Who is in your life that inspires you and challenges the way you think, live, act and believe? Please Share!