"Are you growing, or dying?"
- aubreykmclaughlin
- Apr 7, 2019
- 3 min read
I've been listening to the Rise Together podcast by Rachel and Dave Hollis, and something they've pointed out (repeatedly) is everything in life is either growing, or dying. Our relationships, our skills, our minds, everything. If you aren't constantly learning new things, actively working on your skills, or just bettering yourself or your relationships, something is wrong. We need to put ourselves in situations where we can fail in order to truly grow and discover new techniques and tools for life.

This weekend, I did two things that put me in a position to learn, and potentially fail (which is why the late blog post). I've mentioned Kangoo Jumps a few times, an activity I adore and have been going to off and on for the past two years. This weekend, after years of talking about it, I finally became a certified instructor.
The course was hard, and certainly took a toll on mind and body, but I made it through. We had an instructor who is extremely experienced, and has a skill level that is quite intimidating. We jumped for hours, and created our own choreography, and then, when the time came, we stood in front of our peers and taught the class. At the end of it, of course, we talked about what we did right and what we did wrong, and then we did it all over again. It is sobering to be in front of a class knowing that they are both learning from you, and judging you. It was most definitely an experience where I grew, and I'm looking forward to becoming more and more active in front of class at my home studio.

The one thing that I took from this weekend's course, more than anything, is that having a strong mentor is absolutely integral to my success. Having my teacher, Maribel, in my class made me feel completely comfortable and assured me that she had taught me what I needed to know. If you find something that you love to do, or something that you want to learn more about, find a great teacher. It doesn't necessarily need to be someone who is the very best at your chosen activity, but someone you connect with. Someone who can bring out that feeling of "Oh My God, this is exactly what I want to do!" We learn it as young as Kindergarten; if you don't have a great teacher, you will not have a great experience.
The other thing I did this weekend was register myself for a 10K run. I have never done a 10K, and the 5K's that I've completed were completed mostly walking. They were also the fun kind of runs with paint splatters and giant dance parties. This is a run. There are no obstacles, no paint, and as far as I know, no giant dance parties.

People in the fitness world that I've spoken to about my decision to do this have repeatedly said "just find a training program you like and go from there." Here's the issue; this race is in exactly a month. Not a lot of time to train. But train I must, because 10K is a long run.
Why in the world did I sign up for a race!? What in the world was I thinking??
Well, I was thinking that maybe this is exactly what I need to get outside my comfort zone. This is the kind of experience I can potentially fail at, and certainly something that I will learn from. How do I pace myself? How long can I run before I need to walk? What are the differences between long runs outside and long runs on the treadmill? I can grow from here. I am going to learn.

Are you actively looking for things that you can fail at? Things that will push your limits, teach you knew skills, and potentially teach you how to handle disappointment or succeed with grace? Look for them, reach for your goals, push yourself, and then set goals. Are you growing, or dying?
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