Just Because You're Good at Something...

Every once in a while, usually at least once a year, a project dances across my desk that holds great allure. Maybe it's the money. Maybe it's the content which could be exceptionally juicy. Maybe it has a save-the-world aspect that appeals to me. Often I say "yes" to these projects and then, midway, rue the day I signed the proposal agreement. And, here's the deal: I have this saying I use quite a bit in my professional (mostly) and personal (sometimes) life:

Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you should do it.

It's pretty much the equivalent of your mother saying to you, "If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?" It's a lesson for us all really. Sometimes it means that following what we're good at (and perhaps ignoring the obvious signs of discomfort) will take us down a path we don't want to go. Or, even worse, take us down a very familiar, worn out, torn up, much trod upon, been there-done that path. There is wonder in taking the new path. And, I must constantly remind myself because it hasn't yet become second-nature, that there is greatness to saying "no" to certain things and allowing the space for unforeseen wonders (a new project, a new client, an unanticipated life-changing experience) to come into your life.

And, inevitably, there is challenge and (gasp!) growth.