ORDINARY vs EXTRAORDINARY
guest post from Laverne McKinnon
How are you? Me? I am ordinary.
I set my alarm for the wrong day. I sneak through the McDonald’s drive-through. I get gassy when I eat beans. I laugh at inappropriate moments. I listen to a friend in need. I buy books that I never read. I apologize when I screw up. I try my best and miss the target completely. I try again and hit the target. I have self-doubt. I let perfect be the enemy of good. I love my family.
What would it be like to be extraordinary? To have the clarity to know what I want and how to get there... With no mistakes, no failures, no face plants? To handle every challenge and speed bump with ease, grace and a self-deprecating laugh? To never feel stress or anxiety? To wake up in the mornings feeling rested and rejuvenated?
What I know (and sorta hate) is that magical thinking keeps me small. No one’s going to rescue me. There are no transformative elixirs or vitamins. “How to” lists are simply lists. Just because I go to the gym once this week, I’m not going to suddenly be my ideal weight. Highly unlikely I’m going to win the Mega Millions jackpot.
I believe moving from ordinary to extraordinary means stepping outside my comfort zone. One step at a time. No sweeping changes. No radical declarations. The “magic” comes from consistency. Step by step. Day by day. And over time there will be noticeable change which will feel and be remarkable.
A little bit every day = extra ordinary + time = extraordinary.
What’s the first step you’d like to take outside your comfort zone today?
Laverne McKinnon is a certified coach who works with smart, driven people who are longing for deeper connection and to have a significant, positive impact in the world. She’s a life-long learner and holds many certifications including grief therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Laverne’s passion is helping individuals to access their courage & wisdom, discover their life purpose and live their own unique values… ultimately, achieving outer accomplishment through finding inner meaning.
Where in your life are you ordinary and where are you extraordinary? Where I'm ordinary -- I hit snooze on my alarm at least 5x before I turn it off and wake up. Where I'm extraordinary -- my discipline and creating the life I want. Laverne is right, though, that it didn't come from magical thinking. It came from moving things forward one step at a time. Now, Laverne & I would love to hear from you! Please leave us a comment below! Where in your life are you ordinary and where are you extraordinary?