1+1: Fighting for freedom + Free consult call

Here’s one leadership idea and one resource I’ve found beneficial over the past two weeks:

1 idea: Fighting for freedom

If you were held captive against your will, what would you be willing to do to get free? That’s a question that Stephen King answers in The Shawshank Redemption.

In this classic film, Andy Dufresne is wrongfully convicted of murder and imprisoned for life. For 19 years, Andy is stuck in a dank concrete cell, its gray walls bare except for a Raquel Welch poster. But every night for 19 years, Andy pulls back that poster and secretly chisels a shoulder-width tunnel through his cell wall with a rock hammer the size of his hand.

Finally, he’s ready to escape. During a raucous thunderstorm one night, Andy shimmies through the tunnel and reaches the penitentiary’s main pipes. Then comes the hard part.

The only way out of Shawshank undetected is though the sewer line—a two-foot-wide cast iron pipe that pumps the inmates' feces out to a small stream. The smell is revolting, but Andy doesn’t hesitate. He smashes the pipe with a rock and climbs in.

Lying on his belly, he inches through the soupy muck. The stench gags him, and he vomits. But for 500 yards, he slowly crawls until he reaches the end. There, he strips off his sodden clothes and revels in the cleansing rain that awaits him. After nearly two decades of imprisonment, he’s finally free.

As someone who gags at the smell of his own children’s dirty diapers, that 500-yard crawl sounds awful to me. And yet, I know that if the alternative was spending the rest of my life in prison for a crime I didn’t commit, I wouldn’t hesitate. My hunch is that you would make the crawl, too.

Here’s what I don’t understand, though: if you’d be willing to shimmy through a sewer to gain physical freedom, why would you choose to stay trapped in other dimensions of life when there is a way out? 

• You're stuck in emotional numbness, yet coaches and counselors are available.

• You're buried in debt, though there's a proven process to get you out.

• Your marriage is on the rocks, but your spouse has offered to go to therapy with you.

• Your business dream is still just a dream even as it's never been easier to become an entrepreneur.

If I asked you why you're still stuck, you could probably offer a thousand reasons why--and most of them would be legitimate. Freedom costs time and money. It requires work and vulnerability. And there’s a chance that you could try—really try—and still fail. Those cell walls are thick, after all, and you’re not sure it’s possible to really break through. Maybe you’re not sure it’s worth it.

If that’s what’s going through your mind, I’m here to tell you that it is worth it and it is possible. I don’t know your circumstances, but I’ve seen enough people crawl out of unbelievably deep holes to know that greater freedom is within your grasp if you’re willing to do the work.

You were made to be free. And if you have people in your life who genuinely love you, they're rooting for you to be free, too. They are eagerly watching those prison walls, hoping for signs of your escape so they can celebrate with you.

The question isn’t, Can I be free? but What am I willing to do to be free?

***

• In what area(s) of life do you feel stuck right now? Career? Finances? Parenting?

• How would your life be different if you could be truly free there?

• What are you willing to do to obtain that freedom?

1 resource: Free consult call

If you’re interested in taking the first step toward freedom, I’d love to connect with you. One of my favorite things is coming alongside high-achieving, high-potential leaders who are frustrated and helping them get un-stuck through executive https://www.joshwymore.com/coachingcoaching. These tailored sessions help you get clear on your next steps and stay motivated through gracious accountability. In my decades of helping people grow, there’s no single activity I’ve seen that is faster or more effective than coaching (which is one reason it costs more than other forms of leader development).

If you're curious and want to learn more, you can book a free 15-minute consultation here.

Remember, “the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Take that first step today!

PS: When it feels like you're wrestling yourself…