Martin Luther King Jr., in a famous letter from Birmingham Jail, said –
“There is a type of constructive nonviolent tension that is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.”
He makes a profound point – tension is not a necessary evil, it is a necessity. It needs to not be avoided, but welcomed.
So, we must seek it in every form – the tension that comes from having set a tough target, the tension that comes from the expectation to prepare hard and perform, the tension that comes from holding two conflicting ideas, the tension that comes from making a tough values based decision and the tension from having difficult conversations that matter.
Move towards tension and the struggle it brings and conquer it repeatedly with great processes that you develop as you go.
Growth can’t help but follow..
A Learning a Day 