I have four little ones – 5, 3, 2 and 6 months at the time of this writing. As you would imagine, it is pretty much a constant state of madness in our house. It is normally pretty challenging to look past the screaming, throwing of toys, hitting, etc…and easy to get frustrated with any one of the crazy things going on.
Look Beyond the Madness
On some days, however, I’m able to see past all of this and realize that what is going on at a rapid pace is – growth. All kinds of growth. My youngest daughter learning how to eat solids, my oldest daughter learning how to use the potty, my son venturing out on his own to kindergarten. These are all major things and seeing my children accomplish them is amazing.
I also look at my wife and I and realize that yes, we’re older, but we’re doing the same exact thing. Just like the kids, we also have our good days and bad days. On the bad days, we may yell at the kids when they’re driving us crazy. On the good days, we see them driving us crazy as a normal part of them growing up, laugh at it and do our best to teach them a lesson.
Life is a journey that never ends, regardless of how old you are or what you have/have not accomplished in your life. There is always an opportunity to learn from what you’re going through to grow and become a stronger person, husband, father, colleague or [fill in the blank]. Don’t feel like you always have to be perfect. No one is.
Another Source of the Lesson
Another place where I have seen this lesson reinforced is on one of the podcasts that I enjoy listening to – The Learning Leader Show, hosted by Ryan Hawk. Ryan hosts some fantastic guests throughout this podcast, mainly from the worlds of business and sports.
I love his approach to the interviews and his questions always seem to get his guests to open up and provide some lessons that anyone can learn from, regardless of the worlds in which they operate. One of the next books up on my reading list is Ryan’s first book entitled “Welcome to Management”. Based on what I’ve heard from the show, this will be a great read and I would recommend it to anyone, regardless of if you’re in the business world or a manager:
One episode I learned a valuable lesson from was with JJ Reddick. In it, JJ states:
“You’ve never arrived.
You’re always becoming.“
– JJ Redick
I try to look at both my personal and professional lives through this lens, especially when going through a tough day with the kids or struggling on the work front. We are all continuing to grow. It doesn’t matter how old we are, what stage of life we’re in or what position we hold.
Life is a journey that is all about growth. All about getting better, every day, little by little. If you can show others, whether it’s your kids or colleagues, that all you’re trying to do is get better, hopefully they will want to join you on that journey.
