Have you ever heard the story of the dog sitting on a nail? If not, you are in for a pleasant surprise. And if you have heard this story before, you probably need to hear it again.
There is a story of an old man and his dog sitting on the porch. It’s hot outside. The old man is sipping on his lemonade and the dog is sitting next to him howling in pain.
The neighbor across the street hears the dog howling for several minutes, and his curiosity gets the best of him, so he approaches the old man.
He asks the old man, “why is your dog howling in pain?” The old man responds by saying: “the dog is sitting on a nail.”
Perplexed, the neighbor asks, “why doesn’t the dog just get up and move to another spot on the porch?”
The old man takes another sip of lemonade, smiles, thinks about his response and says, “it doesn’t hurt bad enough!”
I love this story. Even though the dog was howling in pain, the pain wasn’t “bad enough” for him to do something about it. Instead, all he did was howled.
All he really needed to do was stand up, move several inches, and find a comfortable spot on the porch to lay down.
Humans Are Like the Dog
This story also describes human nature. People are comfortable, even if they are unhappy. We all have a comfort zone. Our comfort zone dictates our daily habits, thoughts, actions and success in life.
Additionally, people fear change. People also fear failure. Many people are unhappy with their lot in life, but they will not step out of their comfort zone and change. Why? Because the pain doesn’t hurt bad enough. The pain of changing is more than the pain of staying the same.
It’s not until people get sick and tired of being sick and tired, and make the decision they will do whatever it takes, that they will change and do what they need to do.
You could take it a step further and talk about how this applies to many Americans.
Here in America we enjoy a standard of living that most other countries do not have. Only in America can you be broke, yet have a smart phone, a 60-inch flat screen television, a car, a roof over your head, and three meals per day. Very few other countries enjoy such a high standard of living.
Because most of us “Americans” are comfortable, we aren’t willing to step out of our comfort zone and pursue our true dreams, or do the things we are truly capable of doing. As a result, many of us live lives of quiet desperation and leave the earth (when we die) with unfilled potential.
I hope this doesn’t describe you. Whether you are a network marketer, a mom, an entrepreneur, an employee, unemployed, or just living a life you aren’t happy with, I hope you will change. I hope you will make the decision that the pain of staying the same is much worse than the pain of change.
Attention Network Marketers!!
If you are a network marketer, I want you to realize that the fear of failure and rejection is only in your head. If you will go out and take massive action, those fears will eventually go away. Action cures fear!
Even better, if you can live outside of your comfort zone, you can build a large network marketing business that can completely change your life for the better.
Will it be easy? Heck no. Will it be worth it? Heck yes. Live outside of your comfort zone. Try new things. Don’t be scared to fail temporarily. Do the things you fear and one day the fear will go away.
Final Thoughts
Create the life you want and deserve. It is so worth it. And whatever you do, don’t be the dog sitting on a nail!
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you. To your success!
Chuck Holmes
20+ Year Network Marketing Professional
Top Earner & Top Recruiter
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
P.S. Learn how to grow a successful network marketing business. Secret tips, training, and practical ideas. Free training delivered by email.
The Dog on the Nail Story is so true! People get so numb to the life that they are living. They often think that there will never be a good life for them because “They” are not good enough, or they are afraid of change. For many people they don’t know how or where to take the next step. By us planting the seeds little by little, one day it will sink in and they will realize that there is something better for them. You could be giving someone a life changing experience.
So many lessons in this story. It’s also a great lesson in follow up.
Sometimes a small nagging annoyance that won’t cause anybody to take action (because it doesn’t hurt enough) can grow into a larger pain. Kind of like a blister that grows and grows until it’s unbearable.
As network marketers, we should always interact with people in a professional way that allows us to follow up int he future. Your prospect may not have told you about their proverbial blister (small annoyance), but if you continue to follow up, it may become painful enough for them to realize they need to do something about it.
Until someone is truly sick and tired of their current situation, they will NOT change. Change is tough, but when you are ready for it, it’s not all that hard to do. Most of us are unsatisfied, yet comfortable. That is why we do not change.