Did you know that the average size of a goldfish in captivity, (i.e. living as a pet in a goldfish bowl) tends to stay about 1-2 inches (2.5-5.1cm) long? If moved to bigger indoor aquariums, they can usually grow up to 6 inches (15cm) long.
But, if a goldfish lives in an outdoor pond or in the wild, it can grow to 14 inches (36 cm). That’s 14 times bigger just by living in the right conditions!
A goldfish adapts to not outgrow its environment. If it lives in a small environment, it remains small. If it lives in a large environment, it grows big.
Your Environment is Important
The same can be said about humans. Are you putting yourself in environments that give you plenty of opportunities to grow? Or are you staying in environments that keep you from growing?
- Are you in a job that enables you to grow and develop?
- Are you surrounding yourself with people who encourage you to grow in the right areas?
- Are you pursuing hobbies, interests and experiences that will make you grow as a person?
Are You In The Right Environment?
We all have the capacity to be good, to be great, to be amazing. Often though, we don’t quite realise the importance of the environment we put ourselves in. The environment can hold us back, or it can push us forward.
We can decide to stay in a smaller environment because it’s familiar, it’s easier, it’s more comfortable. But just like the goldfish we all have the potential to grow to great heights.
A goldfish needs a substantial volume of well-filtered water to thrive and grow. As humans, we need a substantial number of new challenges to thrive and grow ourselves.
We need to move ourselves to bigger tanks so that we have the space to grow. Yes it might be scary going into a bigger tank with bigger fish, but that’s often what we need.
You may not notice that you’ve even grown at all, as you’ll be surrounded by even bigger fish. But it’s only when you go back to the smaller tank that you realise how much you’ve changed. Suddenly the smaller tank seems stuffy and small. “Why did I ever want to stay here?” you may ask yourself.
Big Fish or Small Fish?
Don’t be the big fish in the little pond.
You’ll realise that it’s crowded and small there and your opportunities are limited.
Instead, be the small fish in the big pond, where you have plenty of room to grow, and plenty of chances to learn from the big fish.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
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Ben Caufield 