The storm will always pass…

Sometimes it takes a little push to get you out of the comfort zone, but sure isn’t that where the magic really happens.

 

I was thinking on this earlier this week when I was at a training day and listening to the words of a super speaker explain some of his own story as a prelude to the work he began with the group.

 

At one point he mentioned the fact that years ago he would never have pictured that he would be standing in front of a group talking as he was.

 

That would have been way beyond his comfort zone, being a quiet kinda guy.

 

And yet, here he was – all these years later, doing just that.

 

A lot of that he said, came down to the influence of many mentors he had met and learned from over the years.

 

As he spoke of them I started to think on some of those who had influenced me on my journey over the years.

 

Some of those immediately sprung to mind and played no small part in the fact that I was even there at all on that day, starting out on this new voyage of discovery.

 

And then we had roleplay.

 

I knew it was coming and in the past I’d have tried to crawl under the table just not to have to be in the spotlight.

 

But, when the trainer looked for volunteers, I said I’d do it.

 

I had no clue how it would go. To be honest, I was dreading it, but in the end it was fine although I will not be reserving any spots on the mantlepiece for an Oscar or anything.

 

The training itself will push me to do new things. Make me face new challenges and I know there will be parts of it that I will dread, until they are done that is – and then I’ll be glad I have them under my belt.

 

It was like that indeed the very next day. The tables were turned and I was now the guy at the top of the room delivering the training.

 

If anything I may well have been an even less likely person to be in front of a group speaking – yet here I was and not for the first time either – doing just that.

 

The night before and again during preparation in the morning as I set up the presentation, I had to prepare myself to step up – mostly by reminding myself that I had nothing to fear and that I could do this.

 

Had to remind myself that I have weathered worse storms – far worse – and then found the calm to just go ahead and get it done.

 

And there is a lesson in that for everyone – because sometimes we build things up so far in our minds that we let in so many drops of doubt we flood our own heads.

 

But we should remember not to let the storm clouds win.

 

No matter how bad they seem – they will always pass.