Take a moment and ponder a few things that you place value on in your life…..your relationships with others and / or a higher being….your recreational activities….your job…the purchase of a beloved sports car….your report card or desired college choice….your health and fitness! What is it about these items that make them carry so much value? I’d argue it’s due in large part to the amount of effort and hard work they require to ensure they are a success…or great. Take some examples below:
· Relationships – if it was always about convenience and things just coming easily…would we ever grow…if we were never pushed or confronted or expected to be our best….would we place the same kind of value on the relationship that we do with others who bring out our best? Would our mind and heart allow us to remain focused and committed….or would things get stale and boring?
· Recreational Activities – why do people love golf….because it can be relaxing, but still a challenge to master….why do athletes train for hours to perfect skills?….because their is an enormous feeling of self-worth…or greatness, when you’ve given your all leading to accomplishment….and the main reason the accomplishment is great is only because it took so much work to get there! In almost a never ending circle, the work (aka inconvenience) is what makes outcomes so great…and great outcomes is what drives us to work!
· Your Job – ever go through the day staring at the clock, just waiting till it struck leaving time? I used to do this before finding something I could be passionate about…..this job was convenient…it paid well….not much was expected out of me…but each day I left feeling empty….I was simply looking for a paycheck, and to get out of work to go do what “I really loved”, but even the mighty dollar wasn’t fulfilling enough for me to feel great. Since that time, thankfully I’ve had the pleasure to meet, speak, and work with people on the other side of this coin…those who work 12+ hours a day, for far less pay because they believe in their product / service….they don’t feel the need to shut down the computer at a specific time or push today’s tasks to tomorrow, regardless of how convenient (or inconvenient)….instead they work till the job is done because they believe in it’s purpose and the self-fulfillment and value it brings them.
· The beloved sports car (insert other material possessions here) – why is it they are so valuable to us….is it possibly because they are usually scarce, expensive, or otherwise hard to come by….and because we have to work hard to have the means to purchase or otherwise acquire them?
· Your desired college (or that of your children) – what’s so important about the “Ivy League” anyway (or any other prestigious school)…sure the education is great…but why? The education is great because it’s challenging…it pushes you and your limits….it exposes you to experiences that other schools may not be able to offer….but the challenge doesn’t come on your terms…it comes when the professor says so, and (coming from someone who missed a few social outings to study) it’s far from convenient.
· Your Health & Fitness – the convenient approach would be to eat the foods that are readily available and cheap sold at “Convenience” stores (ironic name huh?) or Fast Food chains…..but why is this type of meal so cheap and readily available….because there’s very little work (or love for you Mom’s out there) that goes into making it great! Or what about how convenient it is to plop down on the couch after a long day’s work…hit the snooze button too many times in the morning…or stay in on a rainy day rather than getting up and out to exercise….it’s certainly convenient…but will not lead to “Great” health & fitness.
Convenience is the zone of comfort which limits the full expression of potential. It is where dreams are never realised due to fear, and being risk averse. It is the place where good intentions never see the light of the day, where we are satisfied with average results. The city of convenience is filled with men and women who settle for less in life because they are afraid of taking new challenges that can usher in desired progress. The city is full of mediocrity and over populated with failures comfortable with being less than they are created to be.
People in this city would rather feed on job security than start the multi-million business that is in their hearts. They are with trapped potentials, unrealized dreams, and unfulfilled expectations; like generals who would never dare to go to war. They talk about the loftiness of their dreams but never do anything to achieve them. Success in life will never be established without the concerted effort to meet our desired goals. This week, step out of the convenience zone to nurture your dream because the best things of life are always outside the comfort zone. The big win will sometimes require taking big risks, riding over the storms of life.
Bottom line our journey to doing something Great…..and a key to being (a)LIVE is taking the road that twists, turns, goes up & down….and “You can be sure of one thing…there is never a crowd on the extra mile” – it’s anything but convenient!
Source: http://fit2belive.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/convenience-the-opposite-of-great/
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