Extraordinary:
Beyond what is usual; Very unusual or remarkable. (Dictionary.com)
Going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary. (Merriam-Webster.com)
Very unusual, special, unexpected, or strange. (Dictionary.Cambridge.Org)
When you take on the goals and dreams that put your signature on this lifetime. Illuminating the legacy you will leave behind.
You simply can not avoid your destiny, choosing your future, your goals, your dreams based on the stress they may or may not cause.
If you are going to live a life anywhere near the neighbourhood of extraordinary. You are perhaps going to have to push yourself to your limits and then beyond.
Above and beyond what others are used to. Above and beyond what even you yourself are accustomed to. As everything you want in terms of extraordinary is outside your comfort zone.
Outside of the usual effort exertion you are used to. Outside of the usual “inconvenience” you are used to. Outside of the way you usually think and perceive.
“…if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things: You’re getting off first, or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple, right?”
– Will Smith
Will Smith once said that if he and somebody else got into a head to head treadmill challenge. Only one of two things would happen…
1 of 2: The person challenging him would give up.
(Therefore making Will the victor)
2 of 2: Will would die on the treadmill.
(Hence the challenger would be the victor)
When was the last time you committed yourself to excellence irregardless. Irregardless, of the dreadfully, deceptive but still painful movie that plays or played through your head at the thought of what it might take to achieve your goal or dream. Then following that thought is the thought of how much pain and stress there might be. So maybe you decided to procrastinate or flat out decide/decided it was too much bother to pursue. Can you remember the last time you held yourself to higher standard. The last time you conscientiously asked yourself…
“…am I being honest with myself?”
“…what has me motivated/excited/positive?”
“…is this my best?”
“…what has me turned off/ negative?”
“…has my behaviour and choices reflected the next level excellence of the best me that I could be?”
What if as soon as you notice yourself think anything other than next level excellence, you stopped that thought DEAD and reminded yourself that you are better than this.
From time to time, things may get complicated. They may be terribly less than easy. Though we can do things in spite of the difficulty. We can proceed in pursuit and persevere irregardless of circumstance. Now, See yourself better than you are. Transport your mind to the future where you are more capable than you were in the past or present just gone. Now finally, transport yourself to the future where you are richer than you were in the past or present just gone and operate from that image of yourself.
Now you have to come to the natural understanding that sometimes its going to be hard…
Perhaps, with that understanding we can also form the frame and understanding that we need to make it okay with ourselves. Make it okay to stretch ourselves. Make it okay to try/ endure new ideas, experiences, perspectives. Make it okay to grow. If something at some point is hard, then we need to possibly adapt to the difficulty and do it hard.
After all, a rodeo Champion isn’t known for riding a dead bull. Rather a rodeo Champion is known for riding the most unpredictably ill-tempered bucking bull and gripping tightly with both hands. Then, just when it seems that strongly hostile oxen is about to buck the rider off… The experienced, driven and committed rider seemingly counter intuitively raises one hand high and starts rhythmically adjusting to the bucking bulls violent and random attempts to throw off the now well adjusted rider. When its hard we need to do it hard.
In conclusion, the truth about extraordinary is that we can be extraordinary. We naturally have it within us.
Having an appetite to learning, having a healthy curiosity about how things and people work.
Take well measured action, now, not to waiting to “know it all,” (though do what you know and be sensitive to seeing the rest being revealed and unfolded). Having a willingness to take action, putting what you learnt into practice accompanied by the willingness for constructive criticism as well as the humble self-awareness that we do not know everything.
Furthermore, if we commit and recommit ourselves to making it okay to grow. Okay to go through the “inconvenience” of being different and doing that little bit more and sometimes extra. We will see ourselves touch and be extraordinary in unique hours. Under promise and over deliver, produce more and far far more than expected …and that is part of the truth you should know about being EXTRAORDINARY.
Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂