GreatLIFE Community-
YES!?
Over the past few months, I’ve stayed in pretty regular contact with a former GreatLIFE Team Member. His employment with us ended for a variety of reasons, but our relationship didn’t.
At different times, I’ve tried to be a listening ear, a coach, an encourager and, every once in a while, maybe even a bit of a father figure. Last month, we were talking about his search for another job. As I listened, I started hearing a lot of reasons why things weren’t working out. Why this opportunity wasn’t right. Why that one wouldn’t work. Why he hadn’t been able to find anything yet.
Finally, I stopped him.
“Do you want me to tell you what you WANT to hear, or do you want me to tell you what you NEED to hear?”
Thankfully, he chose the second one. 😊
So I told him.
Until he took control of his own decisions and behaviors, he was going to continue finding reasons why he couldn’t find a job. And if he kept doing that, he was going to stay stuck in the exact same cycle.
We agreed on a starting point: send five résumés every day and start walking into businesses and introducing himself until he found a job.
Simple? Yep.
Comfortable? Not necessarily.
But that was kind of the point.
We talked about how growth usually requires us to get a little uncomfortable.
…And apparently, I was about to get the opportunity to take my own advice. 🙂
Just a few HOURS later, my phone rang. It was the Athletic Director at a university asking if I would be willing to come to campus at the end of August and speak to their student-athletes.
My immediate reaction? That sounds uncomfortable.
I speak in front of people quite a bit, but I’ve realized there is a difference between speaking and being comfortable speaking.
Put me in front of GreatLIFE Team Members, leaders I know, or a room where I can answer questions and have a conversation? I’m pretty comfortable.
Ask me to stand in front of several hundred college athletes who don’t know me and talk for 30 minutes while hoping I actually give them something worth remembering?
My heart rate goes up just thinking about it.
And there I was, only a few hours after telling someone else that growth happens when we’re willing to step outside of what’s comfortable.
Funny how life works sometimes. 🙂
So I said yes….and I’m really glad I did.
Because while I went to the campus hoping I might be able to pour something into the next generation, I left incredibly encouraged BY the next generation.
For two days, I watched young men and women walk across campus with their heads up instead of buried in their phones.
They looked me in the eye.
They said hello.
They gave firm handshakes and introduced themselves.
They listened.
They asked questions.
And when it was time to engage, they engaged.
From the coaches and leaders to the several hundred students I interacted with, there was something noticeably different about the culture. It reminded me that despite all the things we hear about “kids these days,” there are some pretty incredible young people preparing to lead what’s next.
But it also made me wonder:
What would I have missed if I had allowed COMFORT to make the decision for me?
I would have missed the conversations.
I would have missed the relationships.
I would have missed the opportunity to hopefully impact a few young people.
And I definitely would have missed the encouragement they gave me.
That’s one of the sneaky things about our comfort zones.
They’re not necessarily bad places.
In fact, that’s why they’re so easy to stay in.
But sometimes the greatest opportunities in front of us are waiting just a few steps outside of them.
Maybe it’s applying for the job, having the conversation, introducing yourself, trying something new or speaking in front of the room.
Or maybe it’s simply saying YES before you’ve figured out every reason why you should say no.
I challenged someone else last month to get uncomfortable.
A few hours later, I was given the opportunity to do the same.
I’m glad I took my own advice.
So, as we head into September, I’ll leave you with the same question I’ve been asking myself:
What opportunity might be waiting for YOU just outside your comfort zone?
Around GreatLIFE:
A LOT HAPPENING THIS FALL!
Last month, I shared that GreatLIFE had officially joined “construction season.” 😉 A month later, we’ve made some great progress!
- Central Valley Golf Course – The drainage and cart path project is complete, with the team now working to reestablish turf this fall.
- Rocky Run Golf Course – The new green on Hole #1 continues to take shape!
- Willow Run Fitness Center – New rubber flooring is being installed throughout the free weight area.
- 69th & Minnesota Fitness Center – New paint and flooring are complete, along with a refinished sauna—and it looks GREAT!
- Woodlake & Avera Pools – Annual maintenance takes place this month, with closures staggered to maintain pool access for our members.
THANK YOU for your patience with the temporary disruptions as we continue investing in and improving our facilities!
And while there’s plenty happening to our facilities, there’s also plenty happening IN them this fall!
Here are a few ways to get involved this September:
- Back to School Group Fitness Challenge – The kids aren’t the only ones heading back to school! 😉 Jump back into a routine, try some new classes and have a little fun along the way.
- Fall Junior Golf Camp – The GreatLIFE Golf Academy is keeping the clubs swinging this fall with another opportunity for young golfers to learn, develop and have FUN!
- Sport Performance in Harrisburg – Kids ages 7–18 can build strength, speed, agility and confidence through our youth Sport Performance programming.
- GO Nutritional Supplements at Woodlake – We’re excited to launch a new supplement partnership with GO Products, providing another convenient way to support your nutrition, performance and recovery goals.
- Fall Bowling Leagues – Whether you’re chasing a 300 or just trying to keep it out of the gutter 😉, we have leagues for ALL ability levels!
Fall is a great time to reset your routine, try something different or get the kids involved.
Maybe this is your month to say YES to something new!
BOOK CLUB:
Like almost everyone I know, my life is busy. Some of that busyness is necessary, but if I’m being truthful, much of it is brought on by choice. Somewhere along the way, the idea that “more is better” has crept into my head.
This month’s book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, was timely to say the least. Comer challenged me to think differently about how I spend my time and, maybe more importantly, how present I am while spending it.
Here were my 3 big takeaways:
- Presence OVER Productivity — Being fully present matters more than always doing more.
- Your Calendar Shapes You — How you spend your time ultimately shapes WHO you become.
- Slow Down on Purpose — Creating moments to sit in silence, pause before responding, and simply slow down allows us to live with greater intentionality.
NEXT MONTH’S BOOK:
The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dehmer, Diana Chapman and Kaley Warner Klemp
A FINAL THOUGHT…
Growth doesn’t always require a huge change. Sometimes it simply requires the courage to get a little uncomfortable, the discipline to slow down long enough to notice what’s in front of us, and the willingness to say YES when the right opportunity comes along.
As you head into September, maybe ask yourself:
What opportunity might be waiting for YOU just outside your comfort zone?
To the journey,
Nick