The Leading Edge – On Choosing Growth
“Without the challenges that we have faced and overcome, we would not be the people that we are today.”
-Monica Rogers-Fletcher, certified John Maxwell Team coach, speaker, and teacher
Isn’t it amazing that though we have heard a certain saying or quote at various times in our lives, there comes a point where it seems to suddenly take on an entirely new meaning? The words look the same and sound the same, but that is where the similarity ends. This ability to derive a whole new meaning from the familiar is one of the benefits that we experience when we undertake a continuing journey of growth.
Take for example this quote by Eric R. Bates:
“There are no negatives in life, only challenges to overcome that will make you stronger.”
There was a time when this statement was not much more than a comforting pat on the back so you could pick yourself up and dust yourself off when things had gone terribly wrong. In fact, from the depths of pain that many of us have had to confront in our journey through life, this is perhaps one of the last statements we may have wanted to hear.
That is, until we came to the point of understanding what it really meant. Without the challenges that we have faced and overcome, we would not be the people that we are today. Without the pain we had to grow through, we would not have been able to achieve what we have and do what we are now able to do. Challenges give us the opportunity to develop emotional, spiritual, physical, and even intellectual muscles when we are determined to persevere through them to reach the next level of our development.
Just think about it: when we grow in our thinking and perspectives, a simple quote can take on so much more depth of meaning. What possibilities exist for the many other areas of our lives that work together to bring us fulfillment and success? Just imagine the new insights and ideas that we would be able to generate. Picture our newfound confidence, creativity, and innovativeness positively impacting every situation as we move from being led by our old thinking, old beliefs, and old behaviors to leading lives that we actively and consciously design.
I once enjoyed watching an episode of one of my favorite TV shows, Star Trek: The Next Generation, where one member of the crew found himself experiencing multiple parallel realities.
One incident had created a number of possible alternate outcomes depending on the choices made. I imagine that our lives are very similar; how our stories unfold depends on how we choose to design our lives, which depends on the quality of thinking we put into it. The reality that we live in now and the one that we will inhabit in the future is determined by whether or not we move from going with the flow to having a plan to grow.
Growth is a journey where once we get started, we can choose to continue indefinitely. Though we may often start alone with just our dream, it brings us into the path of other like-minded people with similar intentions. As we grow, we realize that we need these others because they understand and they can help, since the way can be as uncertain as it can be tough. But it is the path we need to walk that will bring us the success we have only dreamed about.
It is the road less travelled that can move us from a meaningless existence to a life of satisfaction and fulfillment. From boredom and restlessness to freedom and excitement. From arbitrary, worthless spending, to purposeful, worthwhile investments. The fork in the road is just up ahead. We will want to take the path that holds the greatest possibilities, the one where we get to show what we are capable of, the one that fits us perfectly and feels just right.
I found my path in the John Maxwell Team. Not only by virtue of the world-class teaching and training by our Mentors, and working and growing with like-minded team members, but also in sharing our rich, life-changing content with others and helping them to grow. I have discovered my life’s purpose, what brings me meaning and fulfillment, and my reason to keep growing. This fits me like a glove and I am convinced that it will be a great option for anyone who is choosing growth.
If you have a drive to grow and you’re ready to find your life’s purpose, partner with the John Maxwell Team!
About Monica
Monica Rogers-Fletcher is an independent certified business success coach and mentor & trainer in leadership trained by John Maxwell and his team of mentors. Monica imagines a world where people value people; where each person undertakes a journey of personal growth to reach their God given potential, and is willing to help others to learn and grow. She imparts her all to increase conscious awareness in business leaders and their teams to increase their success. Her clients get clarity on their purpose, focus on their priorities, and become more intentional in getting better results so that they reach their highest professional and business potential.
With 30 years of experience in development banking at senior and corporate levels, she can ably relate to the challenges faced by business leaders. Among her cherished experiences were journeying with John Maxwell and his team of coaches to Guatemala in June 2013 and to Paraguay in February 2016 to effect leadership transformation in those countries. She is trained and ready to equip real people with real challenges with the tools they need to change their thinking, actions, and behavior, and ultimately their circumstances and results.