How far beyond zebra are you willing to go?

For anyone building a team, a business, a super amazing, incredibly scrumptious, world-changing enterprise…

You probably want to go far. Very far.

But once out there in that exciting Savannah of growth and expansion and dreams coming true, beware these four momentum killing words.

On their own, they’re harmless.

Strung together, they can wreak more havoc on budding businesses than an elephant stampede on grassland:

“I know that already.”

This ball crusher also comes in a variety of other flavors:

“I already know that.” (with extra EXTRA emphasis on the word know.)

“Duh!”

“Jeez, where’ve you been? Under a rock or something?”

What is it about this seemingly harmless phrase and its mutant offspring?

After all, there are times when we really DO already know something about the something that is being talked about.

Well, the IKTA phrase is bound to stop us in our tracks because…

Saying it not only tells the world we aren’t open to hearing something from a different perspective, but it also tells our minds that we aren’t open to learning something new, even if it appears to be old.

As soon as the learning spigot gets shut off, look out.

Can anyone say, flat line?

The next time you find yourself in a situation where you already know about something that is being shared or covered or discussed, rather than toss this momentum-stopping grenade into the mix, tell yourself there’s always something else you could learn.

Always.

Some tiny nugget of wisdom or insight that just might appear if you’re patient and receptive to the experience of the moment.

Some tiny gem that turns into something extraordinary down the road.

You just never know when a quote or a story you hear becomes the missing link to an initiative you’re in charge of getting off the ground.

When I find myself rolling this unruly phrase around the tip of my tongue like a piece of gum I’ve been chewing on way too long, I recall the following immortal words of the late, great Dr. Seuss, and then spit the gum out:

There’s no limit to how much you’ll know, depending how far beyond zebra you go. 

Amen.