Blogs

Hmm. Is that a thought-provoking title or what? When I initially typed it, it certainly gave me a slight pause. Then the pause quickly went away and I continued with the following words.

It's really hot here in Cleveland. Like sultry, humid, sticky hot. But that's not the uncomfortable element the title of this post alludes to. Saturday I was riding my bike in the absolute heat of the day, uphill, into the steamy wind, out of the saddle, and nearly gasping for breath. That was merely the 1st of a three-set 2-mile hill workout I decided was a good idea to undertake. When I was done and dripping in sweat but with an ear-to-ear smile, I felt accomplished, proud of the effort, and fully satisfied that had I seized the struggle to overcome and ultimately conquer the hills.

Now that is the uncomfortable element the title of this post alludes to. Believe it or not, I actually found comfort in such uncomfortable circumstances. I repeated, possibly out loud, as I was climbing the hills that the pain was only temporary, embrace it, ride-on, it will end. And it did end. And I felt great.

It's fairly easy to draw a straight line from that experience to the experience of what small business owners go through when they decide their business isn't performing as they would like or envisioned when they started it in the first place. In order for change to happen, for growth to be realized, for greatness, whatever your definition of it is, to be fully grasped, you must be prepared to embrace the discomfort that ensues. Because with any pursuit of greatness, there will be pain. There will be struggles. There probably will be second-guessing. You're gonna have to get out of the saddle and remind yourself that it is only temporary. That it's part of the process and will make you stronger, more resilient, and certainly more appreciative of the end result.  

Jumping off the soapbox now. Don't forget to share this with anyone you think will find it interesting, leave constructive comments, and above all, Achieve Greatness.