One of the best things about farm life is that your ears pick up great sayings.
You’ll find kernels and truckloads of wisdom around people connected to nature.
I’ve collected hundreds of them in a journal since I was young. And they turn out to be lightning strikes of insight for clients when I share them.
One of my favorites is titled: ‘The Bullrider’
Critics sit in rows so high,
Filling up the arena sky.
But there’s just one who knows it full,
And that’s the one who tames the bull.
That ‘bull’ could be anything:
- The discipline of consistency,
- Handling the opinions of others,
- Dealing with your own self-judgment.
I could go on. However, I’d like to share ONE behavior and ONE attitude that tames 2 and 3.
Here’s the one behavior:
- Don’t sit in the arena.
The seats around the arena are where the critics sit. And, when your arms are folded, judging others, it’s very easy to develop the skill of judgment.
Plus, you’re around other critics. And critics are great at teaching you how to criticize and judge. Which creates a psychological danger zone of:
“Yikes! Don’t get into the arena because everyone will judge me.”
And that topples the domino of avoiding the things that will make you come alive, like
getting in the arena and taming the bull.
Now, we get to the ONE attitude:
- Be a fan.
If being a critic leads to judgment. Being a fan leads to encouragement.
Having ‘fanitude’ is contagious. It fans the flames of encouragement, not just for others but for you too.
Taming bulls is tough.
It’s tough for me. It’s tough for you. It’s tough for everyone.
This is why the encouragement muscle is so critical to build.
So, to build that muscle, here’s a 5-day Fanitude challenge:
- Every day before 9 AM, find 3 people and send an encouraging message.
(I’m not sure why I just used ‘#1’ because there’s only one step. Easy-peasy.)
Your message can be simple, like:
- “I saw you just came back from your trip to Europe! It’s so inspiring to see you travel the world.”
- “I saw your new fitness goal/photo/update post. I’m so inspired and cheering you on!”
- “I heard from a friend that you {insert accomplishment}. Congratulations! That’s such a huge victory and I’m so happy for you.”
By the way, telling someone ‘you heard from someone else’ is INCREDIBLY motivating. Why?
Because many people don’t think others are saying positive things about them behind their backs.
(This is an example from one of the messages I sent last week to an incredibly successful peer of mine.)
So, over the next five days, set a micro-goal of encouraging 15 people and reply to this message with any updates. I’d love to hear from you.
And remember, you could either judge this little challenge or get in the arena with the ‘encouragement bull’ and experience it fully.
Be Bold. Take Action. Leave a Mark.
Todd Herman
P.S. If someone forwarded you this article, you can subscribe to my weekly ‘A Peak Life’ newsletter below. Every week I’ll share one idea, framework, or perspective that will help you lead a life you’re excited for.