What If Fine Isn’t Good Enough?
Wednesday, November 16th, 2011
“What if fine isn’t good enough? What if I want extraordinary?”
Why do so many people settle for “fine” in life? Why do they not pursue the extraordinary? Here are 3 reasons why:
1. It’s comfortable.
Settling for average in any type of sport, field, or lifestyle is comfortable. What do I mean by that? It doesn’t require anyone to step outside of their comfort zone.
My high school basketball coach used to say , “You have to practice outside of your comfort zone!” To this day, it is something I continually think about. In fact, when faced with a situation that makes me feel uncomfortable, the phrase pops into my head. This has inspired me to face these situations head on. Instead of ignoring an uncomfortable phone conversation, I make the call as soon as possible. Instead of putting off a difficult task, it’s the first on my list. I believe that “making the uncomfortable comfortable” is a huge step towards our personal progression and helps take us to the next level.
2. It doesn’t bring criticism.
If you are living life the same way as everyone else, don’t expect much criticism. As soon as you start to pursue the extraordinary though, you better be ready. The “hate” will start coming from everywhere.
Recently someone criticized me for being “too hard to please”. What’s funny about it is that they were correct. I can be hard to please, but I think it’s a great thing. I was raised in an environment where excellence was expected. In school, my parents didn’t hope I earned decent grades. Anything less than all A’s meant I didn’t work hard enough. If I made the common excuse that nobody else did well on the test, my mom’s lack of sympathy would say, “I don’t care, you can do better!”
3. Fear of Failure
Pursuing the extraordinary requires putting yourself out there. It requires taking a public step towards your dreams. What does this bring? The possibility of failing miserably in front of your friends, family, peers, and the public eye! Unfortunately, this is enough to keep most people inside the “fine” lifestyle. Their fear of failing outweighs their chance of success.
Failure is not the end. People that pursue the extraordinary understand this. Instead of looking at failure as a reason to quit, they view it as a learning experience. The “average” view failure as something demonic. Instead it should be viewed as a necessary stepping stone to something greater than what was initially envisioned.
Conclusion
You’re right, you can live life accepting “fine”. You will make it through OK. What is the point of that though?
Remember:
- Make the uncomfortable comfortable!
- Ignore the criticism. Embrace it!
- View failure as a stepping stone.
Life is about pursuing the extraordinary. It is about achieving what the “fine” viewed as impossible.
YouTube Credit to Hitch & coey31.
Michael Fear is the Founder of Get Better Today. You can connect with him on Twitter @MichaelEFear.
