CONTROVERSIAL: The Fallacy of Better.
Let’s consider a tree… say any tall or big tree that you know the name of.
For me, it’s the Blue Gum tree…
How does it grow?
It simply does…
Trees are made to grow from a seed.
The seed of the tree carries all the potential of the tree.
ie… my Blue Gum tree’s height and size are wrapped up in the seed of that tree.
So how does it grow?
It simply does… however…
What the tree gets exposed to, affects how it grows.
Give it optimal sunlight, water, and nutritious soil and the tree will thrive.
Give it none of that and the seed might not even sprout…
Potential wasted.
Expose a Blue Gum tree to high winds and it grows smaller, more like a shrub and skew.
Give it no wind and it shoots to the sky.
Now, what about you… are you like a tree?
Yep… humans grow too.
Quite naturally.
We simply do…
Any baby that is born will grow…
It’s what the baby is exposed to that determines the quality of growth.
Provide the baby with optimal nutrition and a loving environment and that human will grow more optimally.
Expose it to abusive parents and an unhealthy environment, and the baby develops differently.
So, what about getting better at playing your sport?
I believe this is a fallacy…
That you can focus on getting better.
We hear things like… get 1% better every day. No one does that.
Rather it’s what we are exposed to, that plays a bigger part.
Take a baby and never give it a ball and an object to hit it… chance are they will never play golf, tennis, or cricket.
Take a baby and never let it kick something… chances are they will never play soccer or rugby.
It doesn’t matter the potential…
If not exposed there will be no natural growth.
Two athletes spend the same amount of time, doing extra work, hours upon hours every week.
Yet one’s growth outmatches the other… why?
Exposure.
What are they busy with during that time?
What are they challenging themselves with?
What standards are they holding themselves to?
We simply grow…
And your growth is dependent on the things you are exposed to.
So focusing on becoming better, does not make better.
Rather it frustrates, because it interferes with the natural process.
So when you think about making yourself ‘better’, rather spend time exposing yourself and your skills to challenges and obstacles that will allow the natural growth process to develop yourself, your skills, and your abilities.
Because you will grow.
We simply do.