Discovering peace on the razor’s edge of fear.
Viktor Frankl, the Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor, said,
“What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost, but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him.”
We falsely think we want no stress.
If you ask people what they would do if they won the lottery, the vast majority would answer something along the lines of,
“I’d quit my job and do nothing.”
We’re not wired to do nothing.
We have an intrinsic desire to cultivate meaning in our lives.
Meaning does not flow from doing nothing.
Meaning flows from connecting with one’s calling, taking action on that calling, and sharing your creation with the world.
Pursuing a calling is hard whether writing, sculpting, entrepreneurship, or philanthropy.
It’s filled with stress and responsibilities. It’s filled with discipline and tension.
But here’s something many don’t consider.
There’s a stunning peace found on the razor’s edge of tension.
It’s the perfect harmony where we thrive and cultivate meaning and fulfillment.
No tension, and we grow bored. We seek the superficial to fill the void in our lives.
Too much tension, and we’ll seek the intoxicating to ease the pain of anxiety.
But, just the right amount of tension, which can only be determined by the individual, is where life’s magic blossoms.
Much like a pocket knife, using the same edge repeatedly will grow dull and lose the sharpness and clarity we crave.
We have to sharpen our personal edge to remain effective, and we do this by testing the boundaries of what we believe we’re capable of.
Complacency is the death of our edge.
So, how do you sharpen your edge and break free from complacency?
Embark on a 7-Day Comfort Zone Challenge.
Ask a friend/s to join you.
Every day, do something that scares you.
At the end of the day, report to your friend/s what you did and how it made you feel.
Reporting what you did and how it impacted you has multiple benefits:
You have someone to keep you accountable.
And
Sharing your fears is practicing vulnerability, which is a comfort zone challenge.
Vulnerability is a gateway to freedom and peace.
This is important: No judgments. Keep it a safe and supportive environment. What scares your friend may not be scary to you, and that’s okay.
Google “Comfort Zone Challenge” for suggestions and tips on actions you can take.
I’ve had the honor of doing this challenge with 2 of my favorite humans.
We all agree that it was one of the best tools for growth we’ve ever experienced.
Discover the peace you crave on the razor’s edge of tension.
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It’s a highly focused, tactical, 60-minute call designed to get you unstuck, reinvigorate, and build momentum.