Disrupting our Lives

I recently was forwarded a video clip that featured a lecturer named Whitney Johnson who I felt had some very interesting perspectives.  Though I was unable to hear the entire lecture one thought seemed very intriguing to me.  The speaker talked about how many of the most successful people in life reach this status because they deliberately disrupt themselves.  Let me explain.

Often we get in ruts or funks and lose interest or an intense desire to be the best we can be at whatever we are doing.  This lecturer challenges us to disrupt ourselves in these moments and do something about it, something different.  Whether that is start a new career, learn a new skill, find a new job, develop a new talent, whatever it might be we have to change our course and “disrupt” our lives. 

Why?  Because without disrupting ourselves we never realize our full potential and we miss out on opportunities we may have otherwise had.  Disruption in our life in a way is self-imposed stress, and hopefully the good kind that pushes us to be better.  Without disruption in our lives we do become complacent, bored, ornery, and feelings of helplessness and diminished value of self-begin to set in.

Now you may being saying to yourself, I have more stress than I can handle as is, and you are asking me to deliberately add more to it! The argument for this is that disrupting ourselves may cause added temporary short-term stress but in the long run, our stress level will decrease and often decrease significantly.  In fact the lecture mentions that not only in times of boredom or lack of interest but also in times of engagement and excitement should we find ways to disrupt ourselves.  Only by doing this can we truly reach our full potential.            

Most of us do not disrupt our lives for many reasons even though often we feel we should.  Perhaps the most common reason is because of fear.  We fear we won’t like our new change in life, or we will lose something we already have.    This fear may be also caused by a possible change in status, income, or peer pressures.  Truly disrupting our lives will make us step out of our comfort zone and may cause us to take on a new position that pays us much less, or force us to walk in new social circles.  These types of disruptions often are what we avoid in life but actually can bring about much good and satisfaction in life.  In fact, the lecturer noted that many individuals who left higher more prestigious jobs in order to take a lower paying job soon found themselves ahead of where they once were. 

In the end purposely disrupting our lives I equate to taking intelligent risks.  Risk takers are nearly always the most successful in life because they dare to be different, they dare to do things most others won’t.  I’ve learned that taking intelligent risks does pay off.  And it nearly always builds self-confidence and increases satisfaction in life along the way. 

So what are we waiting for?!  When the time is right, we need not hesitate, we need to disrupt our lives and find new ways to live a more happy and successful life.