A rite of passage is an event in life which changes the status quo.
It is impossible to go through life without paying a price for the rite of passage. Just as paying a toll fee for the use of a particular stretch of road, or simply paying a fee for a service, life exerts fees on all who travel through it. We cannot expect to go through life without paying a price for the rite of passage. There is a price to pay whether we recognise and acknowledge it or not, for every transition from the first heartbeat to the last. There is a price that we will pay over and over throughout our lives, whether we like it or not. There is no escaping it. It is a reality.
I grew up in a sheltered and favourable environment, and for many years I expected life to be easy. I was often surprised and perplexed when certain things happened to me. I was poorly prepared and paid a higher price than I should have in many instances. So, as much as I am in favour of abandoning comfort zones, I am also a proponent for being as well prepared as possible for the unexpected.
For example, the transition at birth from being secure in a womb to being exposed to the atmosphere and noise and having to breathe, must be a traumatic experience. That’s the price we pay just to start our existence. As we learn to walk, we fall often and sometimes get hurt before we master the steps. That’s the price we pay for walking. When I turned four, I was given a bicycle for my birthday. It was understandably small, but it had inflatable tyres and could free-wheel. It also had training wheels attached to the rear which prevents falling when you are a novice. Those training wheels slow the bike down and render it clumsy. I decided early on the day that I wanted them off, and so my dad obliged by removing them. The toll I paid to progress from novice to riding without falling was heavy and there were scratches, bumps, tears and stinging mercurochrome all over by the end of the first day. That was a rite of passage, but the reward was a lot of joy as well as a certain feeling of freedom which were to last to this day. Was it worth it? Sure, it was.
Every transition, from childhood into adolescence, from there into adulthood, and then into the various stages of life and age, all exert a price for the rite of passage, because they require for us to adapt to new circumstances. Sadly though, the passage of time is not a guarantee of maturity, but that is a topic all on its own. Suffice to say that without intentional personal growth, the price we pay for the rite of passage in our journey through life is higher than necessary. The price we pay for not growing is higher than the price we pay for growing.
As it is in our lives, so it is in our careers and business lives. We must be prepared to pay the fees associated with every rite of passage…if we want to rise above average. The definition of being average is not very flattering and is not something to aspire to.
John Maxwell puts it like this: “Being average is taking the journey through life and never paying the fare to return the interest for God’s investment in you.”
Indeed, this website does everything in its power, just as I have dedicated what remains of my life, to shake my audience out of its comfort zone and reach towards their potential. Because there is always more. Potential is not a destination, just as success is not a destination.
Developing the leader in you, or learning to manage failure, or learning to reflect and introspect, are all tools for internal growth. By engaging in one of our Mastermind programs, you are making an investment in more than your career. You are entering a journey of growth and being prepared to face a future full of uncertainties as well as opportunities. You are being prepared for paying the least for the rites of passage, in terms of time, effort, money and emotional strength.
We have all heard the cliché: “Going around the mountain”. It refers to the Israelites going around Mount Sinai for 40 years on a journey which could have taken a few weeks. They paid a heavy price for the rite of passage to move from captivity to the promised land for many reasons as described in the writings of Moses. One of the chief reasons was stubbornness. The price was so dear that nobody who started the journey entered the promised land.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Am I stubbornly clinging onto my comfort zone, at the expense of a more expansive life or career? Am I unwilling to pay the price of some rites of passage at the expense of repeat payments for stagnation? Am I willing to pay the price of regret rather than the price for action?
One way or the other you will pay. Life demands it. All progress requires a price, whether it be a change of attitude which will require mental effort, or a financial transaction which will require a monetary fee, or new and better habits which will require self-discipline. Nobody wants to be forced to change, and yet this is the fate for most of the population. Although many of our circumstances are out of our control, not many people come to the realisation that they have influence over the shaping of their future. Most people move only when they are forced to, and then often reluctantly.
Intentional and purposeful internal growth is the only guarantee that tomorrow will be better than yesterday. We cannot control nature or other people, but we can control the way we view circumstances and others. I encourage you to embark on a journey of intentional personal growth. You owe it to yourself. The rewards are beyond what you can think or imagine. The journey itself is part of the reward. Put off whatever fear is preventing you from making a commitment.
Visit our website, check out other articles on associated subjects, and be encouraged.
We are here to help you develop your potential, no matter where you are in life’s journey.
We’ll walk with you.
