The Ultimate Teacher in Business Isn’t What You Think

You’ve become an entrepreneur. You are ready to grow success and learn from the best. I am here to tell you, your teacher isn’t going to be some great mentor, nor is it going to be the big winning moment when you strike a huge deal.  

The ultimate teacher in your life is discomfort.

You can choose to run away from it, protect yourself, and do everything possible to not be uncomfortable. But if you can stand discomfort, that is where the true riches lie. 

When things are going great, we are not as aware of our thoughts and emotions. It becomes so easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of the moment or day to day life that we ultimately learn nothing along the way. Difficult moments create the opportunity to become a witness to what is unfolding. You have the front-row seat to becoming aware of what is happening around you and within you. 

This is where the truth lies. Challenges lead you to see where your weaknesses exist, what struggles you need to overcome, and, perhaps, what aspects of your life you need to walk away from. 

In business, one of the greatest strengths I have found is being highly aware of how I am showing up to the world and what impact I am making in the room. When you know the truth of where you stand and how you feel, it becomes easier to handle situations, manage those around you, and do things you wouldn’t have previously felt comfortable doing.

Once you learn how to use discomfort to your advantage and are no longer afraid of feeling, you receive the greatest gift of all — ultimate freedom.

Getting comfortable in the discomfort takes practice. It must become a habit that you infuse into your daily life. Once this habit is formed, the fear that once stood in your way no longer exists. I will never forget some of the most uncomfortable moments of my professional and personal life. Now, looking back, I see how unnecessary it was for me to feel afraid of them. 

I can recall the first cold call I ever did as a young man entering into the sales world. It was something I avoided at all costs. I was petrified of what the person on the other end of the phone would say and feared the unknown that lived on the other side of this action. The moment I finally did it, I never felt so alive. Putting the phone back down once the call ended set in a rush of relief. “Why had I been so afraid?” I wondered.  After that moment, I went on to make 3,000 cold calls within six months’ time. Had I allowed the fear to engulf me and stop me from taking action, I wouldn’t have found the success I had in such a short amount of time.