Seeking the shortest route to our destination is natural unless we’re sightseeing. And it seems at every turn we’re promised a shortcut or hack to life’s journey. But there are no shortcuts to our growth.
If someone has already discovered a proven and efficient way to do something – there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.
Building on the work of others saves us time and frees us to focus on other interesting aspects of our life and relationships.
It’s not lazy to learn from others and to take the shortcuts they’ve provided. This is wisdom.
At the same time, some journeys have no shortcut.
To win a race, for example, we must run every single mile. And every essential ingredient of a recipe must be included in order to enjoy a tasty product in the end.
There’s also no shortcut to achieving our excellence.
Work that matters and meaningful relationships are not things someone else can give us.
And while others can certainly show us the way, we must still put in our time to discover all that God has for us.
The latest podcasts, books, and weekend workshops might provide many helpful tips and tools, but we must still do the work.
Like the farmer, in the end, the seed must still go into the ground in order to produce a harvest.
To grow into our fullness there is also a labor we cannot shortchange or defer to others.
The only way to achieve our excellence is to take our journey one mile at a time. And there are no shortcuts without cheating ourselves of our potential.
The so-called shortcuts leave us with trivial work and shallow relationships.
Learn from others without neglecting the hard work before you. There are no shortcuts to living wholeheartedly in your life and relationships.
Photo by Taylor Nicole on Unsplash
