I felt insulted! Rightfully so! But then again, it was the truth. Nothing offends more than the truth! Pain comes from the truth we don’t want to hear. When it comes out from a fearless third party, we become helpless but very defensive. One simple question that I was asked: “Do you want to grow?”
My body language always gives it up – apparently after this question, my whole body was like, “Don’t ask silly questions! I’m here, so surely you can see that I am eager to grow as much as possible, ASK BETTER!” – apparently, it is not in the words said, but the whole body language – mine gave it off, or rather betrayed me 😊 “Let go! I’ve got this! Back to you – how much can I grow you by?”
Most of the times our bodies, through our minds, always seek to protect us – it is as if we are in the stone age era – looking for survival instead of thriving. Our bodies always look to protect us from the worst-case scenario – death. 99% of the time, death is not even near, but our egos do the best to protect us.
Protection means developing some thick skin or even better, hard shells. The shells thicken by the day and are hard to penetrate – we look after our wellbeing. And only ours! Through this process, we limit ourselves from creativity and become hard on the outside, although ultra-sensitive on the inside. Because our inner self is so sensitive, mobility becomes ultra-difficult – we miss out on the novelties and exposures that life brings to us, and are celebrated for preservation of inner sensitivities. Is that life?
Yes, that’s is the game of life – if you are a tortoise. Their shells protect them from being prey to other animals and most of them have long lifespans. Most tortoises are found in solitude, meaning that they seek to protect themselves first, and all the time. They avoid the threats and risk of being exposed to other fellow dangerous mates. To me, it seems like it is life with very little adventure and no sense of community – it avoids the adventures of life, and quite frankly dead boring!
Are you in an environment that allows you to fail successfully? Is your failure celebrated? Can you grow from your failure? This is one question which most organisations need to ask themselves quite often, if they are in it for the long run. The rate at which change is happening requires one to be as agile as possible. If you want longevity, being hard shelled is not going to do it! The tortoise needs to expose its sensitive skills to the world so that it can enjoy the pleasures of life well – longevity will no longer be measured by time alone, but by the quality of life and impact that one has on others.
What hard shells do you need to get rid of? What sensitivities are you afraid to share with others? Are you ready to fast track your impact?