Mount Vernon High School

November 8, 2024 Growth Hurts Those we consider champions in any area of life are unique and set apart in a number of ways, but one of the most important is in their commitment to growth. That commitment starts with recognizing that with effort and intention, improvement for anyone is both possible and necessary. It builds in them the humility to accept that they need to get better, and a hunger to learn from anyone or anything that can teach them. That kind of authentic commitment to growth is of course validated by evidence. By its very nature, something that’s grown looks different than it did before. For anyone who’s made development a priority, their performance is different - better - than it was previously. Improvement closes the gap that exists between who those people used to be and who they recognize winning requires them to become. There are a lot of individuals, teams, and organizations out there talking about a commitment to growth. That’s because the idea of improvement is really attractive. In the important areas of life and performance, it’s fun for anyone - me and you included - to envision ourselves moving closer to the outcome we say we’re after. But turning that vision into reality isn’t easy. That's why for a lot of people, real evidence of improvement is hard to find. I want to encourage you to take a minute today to evaluate your level of commitment in this important area, and your willingness to accept the harsh reality that comes with it. Here's the harsh reality: growth hurts. They don’t call them growing pleasures, after all. They call them growing pains. One reason it hurts is because growth unapologetically pummels one of our most prized posessions: our pride. Each one of us have an ego, and human nature encourages us to focus on what we’re good at and ignore what we’re not. Even if we recognize that those areas of weakness are a roadblock on our path to success, pride pushes us to avoid the truth or ignore it altogether. They don’t call them growing pleasures, after all. They call them growing pains. But a real commitment to growth takes our pride and pins it face down to the floor. It forces us to look reality in the eye and to acknowledge the painful truth about who we are and where we need to get better. Over time, a real commitment to growth takes our pride - that part of us that we love so much and that many of us have strengthened and emboldened inside our minds - and painfully pulverizes it into a feeble fragment of what it once was. Only once our pride’s been diminished can authentic improvement ensue. The other reason growth hurts is because it stretches us in ways we’ve never been stretched before. You can reiterate for yourself just how painful stretching can be. Right now, right where you are, stand up, lock your knees, and reach for your toes. Reach down as far as you possibly can. Now reach two more inches past that - further than you've ever reached before - and hold it for ten seconds. (If you’re in a public place, sorry if you make a scene.) Stretching has numerous benefits - obvious benefits - but reaching farther than you're used to can be downright painful. Not surprisingly, that’s why most people avoid it. There’s no disputing that doing whatever's necessary to avoid that stretch is the more comfortable and convenient option. It’s easier to justify that people are who they are - that you are who you are - and that stretching yourself in the important areas of life and performance is either impossible or unnecessary. But I bet, if you really stop and consider it, you can acknowledge that that’s a loser’s mentality. I want to challenge you today to put that thinking behind you, and instead work on developing your ability to think and act like a champion. That starts with acknowledging that there are important areas where you can, and should, and must get better. Then it means putting your pride in its place, and embracing the discomfort that comes with stretching yourself in ways you never have before. Maybe most importantly, it means mustering up some toughness for the painful improvement work that becoming your best requires, and accepting the harsh reality of the growth process. There's only one way to become the person winning requires you to be, and that, of course, is the hard way. -Travis