Inspire Others Through Continual Growth!

Posted by Paula White - Thu, July 30, 2009 at 10:02 AM

Life’s opportunities and challenges never end. There will always be something new to learn, to try, and to experience. There will be new people to meet, new places to go, new insights to gain, and to share.

One of the best ways to share God’s goodness is by living in a manner that inspires others. A wonderful way to inspire others is through an attitude of support and encouragement. As parents this is one of our primary ways to nurture our children as they grow.

Every parent has the opportunity to nurture and develop seeds of potential in their child. My own mother taught me the importance of unconditional love and to always believe in myself. No matter what we were going through as a family I always knew my mother loved me - and believed in me. Her inspiration has remained with me throughout my life.

There are many ways to inspire others—and another powerful way to inspire others is by challenging yourself with continual growth!

God designed you to be a continual learner. He also designed you to continue to explore His creation, and to push yourself outside of your boundaries. Although this might make you uncomfortable in the beginning, it broadens your path toward new opportunities—and gives others the courage to do the same.

You should strive to be different today than you were yesterday – and different tomorrow than you were last month. You should strive for constant transformation in your life! Your ability to engage in continual growth will also determine how you are able to impact others, and the world.

Recently an exercise trainer who has worked with some of our nation’s top athletes shared a great example of how we grow through pushing beyond our boundaries. One very hot day the trainer was working with a client, and he offered to drive the athlete to the ballpark. The car was sweltering—but instead of turning on the air conditioning, the trainer turned on the heat! Then he refused to let the athlete roll down the window or change the temperature. The trainer himself was perspiring, but he acted ‘cool’—as the athlete complained all the way to the park.

When they arrived, the athlete jumped out of the car and yelled, “What were you trying to do, kill me?” The trainer calmly replied, “No…I was trying to get you out of your comfort zone. You’re so used to coming to the park in your luxury air-conditioned car with your buddies –- doing what you’ve always done—that you don’t improve. You play at the same level you’ve always played. I want you to get out of your comfort zone, to get to a new level of performance. I want you to feel uncomfortable to the point that you’ll seek to pursue your maximum ability…which you haven’t reached!”
The athlete got the message, and began to push himself beyond his comfort zone – and was amazed at how much he improved during the rest of the season! But it was the trainer’s own behavior in the car that also contributed to the lesson: because of his willingness to sacrifice his own comfort in the heat, he helped push his client toward his next level of achievement.

As God takes us out of our comfort zones in order to stretch us and expand our capacities, we can influence others as we go through our own development process. God desires for us to grow in our abilities, and to be examples to those around us as we do so. And as we develop stronger character traits, it’s God’s intention that we impact the lives of others as well.

To take on the challenge of continual growth:

• Set new learning goals, and choose to learn something new daily
• Exercise your mind and your body
• Stay teachable – seek understanding and wisdom
• Accept God’s corrective measures
• Give yourself the rest that produces creativity
• Reward yourself generously and often
• Find those around you that need the inspiration you have to share

So begin, today, to challenge yourself through continual growth…and you will also begin to influence and inspire others, and positively impact the world we live in!

Inspire Others Through Continual Growth!

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