Hugh’s Blog

There is no neutral gear in life.

Apparently Aristotle is famous for saying that we are always either growing or dying; there is no in between. I was coaching someone this week and I asked him if he was contributing to the success of the company and the team (growing), or making withdrawals (dying). His reply was that he was in “neutral”. Wrong! There is no neutral gear in life.

We all possession incredible energy, whether we know it or exercise it or not. If you look at the work of the Heartmath Institute (http://www.heartmath.com/) you will learn that this energy can even be measured. That’s pretty cool.
And our energy is the ultimate renewable resource and it is always available to be tapped into.

When you say you are in ‘neutral’, you are in effect saying I don’t recognize that I have an impact on other people and on my own psyche. In fact you always have an impact on others. Just like you are always are having an impact on yourself through your thoughts and your actions.

The person that comes to my training sessions and sits in the back of the room and doesn’t say anything is still having an impact. Similarly, the employee that just shows up and puts in minimal effort is still having an impact.

So, put your life in gear and contribute. Look for ways to give without regard for what you get in return. Pay attention to your own self talk and stay tuned into the big picture radio station, not the self pity channel. We all have choices every minute, every day. And when we choose to contribute we are growing. And through our growth we allow others to grow as well.

Happy growing season!