I heard a quote recently that has gotten me thinking about my life’s course.
The great artist Michaelangelo is quoted as having said “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”
For over a decade I worked on the front lines of Alberta’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system in varying capacities, both in municipal ambulance and industrial.
Over that time, I was witness, quite frankly, to a lot of humanity at its worst, and it took a toll on my mind.
When I was a teen, my goal in life was to be an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) — now known as a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP). It was a goal I ultimately reached and a career I loved, until I didn’t.
This is where Michaelangelo’s quote resonates with me.
When I left EMS, I entered survival mode.
My goal went from earning the next credential or re-certification to surviving the onslaught of negativity in my mind. During some periods, my goal was to survive the week, the day, or even the next five minutes.
Resetting my goal to survival mode reset the bar. It reset the bar extremely low.
Granted, while easily achievable goals were what I needed at that point in my recovery, they didn’t allow for much in the way of growth.
It wasn’t until I started raising the bar again, and really challenging myself, that real growth and recovery started happening.
None of this recovery journey would have begun without my writing.
I started my blog, which led to me taking some basic brush-up grammar courses. Those led to more writing, eventually leading me to raise the bar even higher, returning to university part-time.
It wasn’t so long ago that I would be fearful of tackling anything for fear of failure.
Self-doubt would always be at the back of my mind.
I would routinely ask myself, “What if I fail.”
Over the last few years, my confidence has grown as the larger goals I have set before me have come to fruition.
I’ve taught myself photography. My writing has won awards. I’m teaching myself a wide variety of tools available to me through the Adobe suite of products.
Every success builds my confidence and moves me forward. Instead of wondering “What if I fail?” I now wonder, “What if I don’t” when setting my goals.
That’s not to say everything has been easy; my last couple of university courses have been significant challenges.
However, I passed the last one, and I have no reason not to expect a pass on my current one when it eventually gets down to it.
As far as I am concerned, Michaelangelo’s observation was right on the money.
Aiming low with easily achievable goals is no way to grow. Aiming high, despite the risk of failure, is the way to push yourself beyond your wildest dreams.