Growing Hurts But It’s Worth It!
Each and every one of us has the potential to be great. Yes, we are all born with the seeds of greatness within us. So the question is: what separates those who realize that potential from those who don’t quite make it?
The single most important attribute shared by all the great successes in history is the willingness to stay the course and stick with it in the face of the inevitable discomfort that comes with growing.
Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, Lady Gaga, Walt Disney, Thomas Edison and many more all had to face rejection, failure, fear and feelings of inadequacy on their path to greatness. But they persisted. They stuck with it. They kept working at it, they kept believing in themselves and eventually they hit their stride and found their place.
So despite the commonly held belief that superstars and masters are born not made, the truth is that we have a huge part to play in determining whether the seeds of greatness within us grow to their full potential.
We each have special gifts and talents but without nurture and development, they will fade and go to waste. Recognizing those innate qualities and unique attributes that only we have and making a commitment to taking them all the way is actually the easy part. The hard part is sticking with it when the going gets tough. The hard past comes when we reach a standstill and we need to take the necessary measures to keep developing our abilities and continue growing towards our potential.
Growing pains are real and they are the most uncomfortable and confronting part of the path towards mastery and greatness. It sucks to have to identify and examine your weaknesses. It’s frustrating to feel like you have to constantly start over whenever the time comes to learn something new so you can keep expanding your capacity.
I’m in L.A. for the summer and I came here with the intention to immerse myself in an inspiring environment, to dive deep into my crafts and to take my musicianship to the next level. I can honestly say that I know I’m good at what I do but deep down in my heart and soul, I have an inexhaustible drive to hone my crafts to the point that I have total command over what I do. I have a strong desire to honor the gifts I’ve been given and express them at the level of greatness and mastery that I know I’m capable of so that I can powerfully share them with others and inspire them to do the same.
Now I know that may sound amazing and wonderful but the truth is that it’s grueling and painful at times. It requires me to constantly look at my weaknesses and commit to new practices that will address them. It means having to be honest with myself about where I’m at and gratefully accepting constructive criticism about things I’ve worked on tirelessly because I’m so determined to take them even further. It means observing all my limiting beliefs about my worthiness and my being good enough as they come up, and transforming them not once, not twice but as many times as it takes to have a lasting breakthrough and embody the new belief. It means pushing through and showing up even on the days when I really don’t feel like it. It means having to step out on stage, giving my best and finding fulfillment in each experience even when I know there’s another level to get to.
We are here to fully realize and express the greatness that is within us. In order to do this, we must be willing to constantly shed layer after layer of acquired knowledge and experience to give way for the next lesson and the next level. And there’s no getting around the fact that growing hurts and requires a great deal of humility.
But it’s so worth it. And the pain of unrealized potential is even greater. This applies to all aspects of life. It’s true in our spiritual quest, on the path of mastery in any creative endeavor, in our careers and in our relationships.
You have the potential for greatness. There’s no question about it.
Are you willing to stay the course and stick with it through the growing pains?
Much love, CA
Published by The Daily Love (June 23rd, 2013)