Last week we talked about courage, cards, and deciding what rules you will play by. I want you to keep all of that in mind, because this week we are going to connect that to goldfish and aquariums.

About a month ago my family at a restaurant in Nashville that had fish tanks everywhere. You can imagine how excited my 2 year old was to see all kinds of fish swimming around as she at her pizza.

There were tanks of all different sizes and in one of the tanks was some pretty huge gold fish. This got me thinking about the old words of wisdom that a goldfish grows based on the size of the tank, the bigger the tank, the bigger the fish. I decided to look this up to see if it is true and found out it is a half-truth. It’s not just the size of the tank that impacts growth. It’s the fact that smaller tanks and fishbowls often lack high quality filtration systems which impedes growth. The bottom line is that the smaller the tank the poorer quality of water, which leads to smaller fish.

Now how does this connect to cards, courage, and the rules you play by? The rules you choose to play by impacts how big your tank is. How big is your tank? Asked another way, Who/what are you competing against? I find that my answer to this question determines my “water quality” and how big of a fish I am.

If I find myself stuck competing against other people all of the time, then I’m never the best I can be. I’m always a little bit smaller. I’m always lacking perspective. I’m always a little bit agitated or bitter. It’s because competing against other people makes my world small and keeps me trapped in water that isn’t pure. It keeps me trapped in water filled with all kinds of destructive debris. It is easier to play by “their” rules. It is easier to stay in a smaller tank, but it isn’t necessarily better.

If I find myself working for something larger, a real purpose, then I’m just a better version of myself. I’m more likely on the top of my game. I have perspective. I’m happy. It’s because working for something larger makes my tank bigger. The water is filtered with time, patience, hope, and understanding until it’s a much better place for me to live and grow.

As leaders part of our job is helping others create a tank big enough for them to grow. It’s up to us to build a tank that is big enough to filter things properly filled with clean water void of dirt and debris. To do this, we have to start with ourselves. How big is your tank?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry