Aspire. Be Less Reluctant. Come Upwards with Us™
For quite some time, I have ended many of my blogs with:
Aspire.
Come Upwards with Us™
Now, as we approach Un-Reluctant Day on June 30, I have inserted a new phrase between them:
Aspire.
Be Less Reluctant.
Come Upwards with Us™
It may seem like a minor adjustment. Three simple lines. Just a few words.
Yet I believe those three statements capture a valuable philosophy for personal growth.
Aspire.
Every meaningful improvement begins with aspiration.
Aspiration is not fantasy. It is not wishful thinking. It is not idle daydreaming.
Aspiration is the willingness to imagine something better.
A better relationship.
A better career.
A better attitude.
A better future.
A better version of yourself.
Without aspiration, there is no destination. There is no direction. There is no compelling reason to change.
Many people have stopped aspiring because they have become disappointed, discouraged, cynical, or simply tired.
They have learned to protect themselves from disappointment by lowering their expectations.
But a life without aspiration becomes smaller over time.
Aspiration is the upward gaze.
It is the quiet acknowledgment that there may be more available to us than we are currently experiencing.
It is the first step.
Be Less Reluctant.
This is the new addition.
And perhaps it is the most practical of the three.
Notice that I did not say:
Be fearless.
I did not say:
Be confident.
I did not say:
Take massive action.
I said:
Be less reluctant.
Why?
Because most of us are not held back by a complete lack of knowledge.
We are not held back by a complete lack of opportunity.
We are not even held back by a complete lack of ability.
More often, we are held back by hesitation. Hesitation on the little things that, if acted upon, will gave a big Net Positive impact.
We delay the phone call.
We postpone the conversation.
We wait to start.
We edit ourselves.
We second-guess ourselves.
We tell ourselves, “Maybe later.”
Reluctance is often the hidden barrier between aspiration and achievement.
The good news is that overcoming reluctance does not require a dramatic transformation.
You do not have to become a completely different person.
You only need to become slightly less reluctant than you were yesterday.
Speak a little sooner.
Volunteer a little more readily.
Take one more step.
Raise your hand.
Ask the question.
Share the idea.
Apply for the position.
Make the introduction.
Small reductions in reluctance often produce surprisingly large improvements in life.
Come Upwards with Us™
Personal growth is often portrayed as a solitary journey.
Sometimes it is.
But not always.
The truth is that most of us benefit from encouragement, support, accountability, and shared aspiration.
We rise faster when we travel alongside people who are trying to improve themselves.
People who challenge us.
People who inspire us.
People who remind us what is possible.
People who help us see strengths we may overlook in ourselves.
That is the spirit behind:
Come Upwards with Us™
It is not a command, or a demand.
Its encouragement.
It is an invitation.
Begin your upward spiral to new heights.
An invitation to join a community of people who believe growth is still possible.
Who believe improvement is still worthwhile.
Who believe that becoming better need not involve becoming someone else.
We can aspire together.
We can become less reluctant together.
And we can move upward together.
A Simple Philosophy
When I look at these three statements together, I see a complete progression:
Aspire.
Know what you want.
Be Less Reluctant.
Take more of the actions that move you toward it.
Come Upwards with Us™
Travel with others who are headed in a similar direction.
Simple.
Practical.
Human.
And perhaps exactly what many of us need right now.
Aspire.
Be Less Reluctant.
Come Upwards with Us™
