Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is a failure. –Albert Einstein
A recent conversation with a buddy about his golf game got me thinking about fish climbing trees.
My friend is a good golfer. Not scratch. Not winning club championships. But good. And, like most of us, he has tinkered with his game many times over the years. Many of his lessons lead to incremental improvement. He would briefly get a shade better, but eventually fall back into his same habits and natural groove. At least he wasn’t getting worse!
But a new golf instructor broke down his swing entirely. No more tweaks. It was time to completely re-tool his swing. And that caused major issues with his game. It didn’t feel natural. It was uncomfortable and isolating. There were times when he lost faith and confidence in his game. There were times when he desperately wanted to embrace the comfort of his old swing.
But he stayed the course and struggled through a season of frustration, believing in the big picture and believing in his instructor. And then a funny thing happened. What was once unnatural soon became second nature. He started to get better. And not just incrementally better. Exponentially better. He recorded scores that he never thought possible. And he finally realized that golf, like life, is not just about getting “less bad”. Sometimes we have to make a radical change to truly transform our swing…and our lives!
We Need to Keep Our Perspective
Self-improvement is a noble goal and should be a daily practice. Who doesn’t have room to grow? But sometimes we have to step back and question our broader goals. What are we working toward? Is it fulfilling? Is it maximizing our God-given talents? Are we afraid to make a radical change?
Incremental improvement down a path that does not inspire us is not the worst thing. And it certainly beats apathy and resignation. But it ultimately leads to a life that is just “less bad”. Is that how we make this world a better place? Maybe we have to step back and examine the path itself. We have said that bumpy roads to lead to beautiful places. And often this is true. We can struggle through difficult times to find there is a beautiful outcome on the other side.
But sometimes, the road just gets “less bumpy”. We feel as though our lives are improving because we are taking fewer hits. But there might be another smooth and glorious road that we can’t see. It may take a radical move. It may take cutting through thick underbrush to get there. It may get scary and disorienting. It may take re-tooling our swing. But we have to keep the faith. Changing paths might be the only way to get to our destination.
Sometimes, We Have to Get Worse to Get Better
And now back to that fish. If you ask the fish to climb a tree, it can put in the effort. It can have grit and will power and the heart of a champion. It can find ways to dig in its fins and improve its technique. But ultimately the monkey is going to fly right by it on the way to the top.
The fish may feel like a failure. But it has to have the courage and the faith to ask bigger questions. Maybe this is not my path. Maybe I’m getting incrementally better at a game I can’t possibly win. Maybe I’m missing something huge. Maybe there is a glorious place where I can excel and fulfill my destiny!
Resilience is not just about putting our heads down and “powering through”. Resilience is not about making incremental improvements to satisfy someone else’s dream. Resilience is not always about having the courage to keep trying. Sometimes it takes far more courage to stop entirely and ask bigger questions. Sometimes, resilience is about having the faith and trust to make a radical change and follow our instincts.
Sometimes, we need to change our swing entirely. Sometimes we need to get worse to get better. Everyone has different skills and talents. Stay resilient! And don’t be afraid to carve your own path in this world.
The determined fish will eventually get to the top of the tree. But it will lead a much more fulling life of purpose by diving into a beautiful pond and swimming in the water.