In a wonderful book called, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the shepherd asked the alchemist if there was anything he still needed to know.
“What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we’ve learned as we’ve moved toward that dream. That’s the point at which most people give up. It’s the point at which, as we say in the language of the desert, one ‘dies of thirst just when the palm trees have appeared on the horizon.'”
We’re tested by the world as we get closer and closer to our dreams. Things can get pretty sticky; it’s called the Discomfort Zone. However, you can’t get around it, you have to go through it. “No pain, no gain,” as they say.
According to Chris Barrow, a world-class business coach who works exclusively with dentists in the UK:
“If you want to achieve a resolution that has integrity and sustainability, you simply must enter the Discomfort Zone. Any resolution that has sidestepped this area will collapse at some point.
Crossing the Discomfort Zone requires courage, commitment and bigger thinking than you’ve ever needed before. However, you don’t have to do it alone; this is where a trained coach comes in to lead you into the Breakthrough Zone.
The Breakthrough Zone is a high-energy place that feels liberating, light, unburdened, open and creative. This is the land of a-ha moments and light bulbs going off over your head.”
The cover story of Fast Company Magazine’s May 2005 issue, “Change or Die,” caught my attention. While Alan Deutschman writes about the topic primarily from a medical perspective, he offers the disheartening fact that whether you are trying to make changes in your personal or business lives, your chance of failure is over 90%.
For example, 90% of people two years after coronary artery bypass grafting have not changed their lifestyle, including the top five unhealthiest indulgences of too much smoking, drinking, eating, stress and sitting around. Doctors have told these patients that they’re putting themselves at risk, but even the fear of death did not motivate them to change.
The fact is, we resist change not just because it’s uncomfortable; we resist change because our current behaviors, thoughts and habits are helping us cope, however badly, with life. They are helping us cope with our negative emotions, such as fear – fear of death, fear of failure and fear of financial ruin.
This article was originally published in Curing The Unmet Needs Disease © Simon Reilly 2008
International Values and Behavioral Analyst, Business Coach, Speaker and Author
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