By James Chase

When I write the story of my life, I’d like to call it The Parable of the 2 x 4. To explain why, let me share a story about a farmer and his mule. I’m not sure who originally told it, and there are several versions online, but I’ll share it the way I remember it.

A long time ago, a new farmer needed a mule to help plow his land. He went to a neighbor to see if he had one for sale. As is customary when buying a mule, the farmer asked if there were any problems he should know about. The neighbor assured him that the mule would do anything he asked.

The farmer took the mule home, and the next day brought him out to the field to plow. He said, "Git up!" — but the mule didn’t move. He even tried speaking kindly to the mule. Still, nothing happened. After a while, frustrated, the farmer called his neighbor, who came over right away.

After hearing what had happened, the neighbor picked up a two-by-four, walked over, and hit the mule squarely on the head. Then he leaned in and whispered something into the mule’s ear. Immediately, the mule started plowing back and forth across the field. Shocked, the new farmer said, "I am not in agreement with mistreating an animal. Why did you hit him over the head with a two-by-four?"

"Well," the neighbor said, "you have to get his attention first."

Now, I’m not a supporter of hurting animals — this story is purely metaphorical. But it perfectly describes the "aha moments" we all experience in life. Looking back, I can think of many times when life had to "get my attention" before I finally understood.

One of those moments came when I encountered the "Seven Levels of Awareness" as described by Bob Proctor. They left a lasting impact on me. Let me share them with you (listed from lowest to highest):

• Animal – At this level, "we react" to outside influences and circumstances.

• Mass – Here, "we follow the crowd."

• Aspiration – This is where we desire to improve but don’t yet make the necessary changes.

Most people, including myself at times, get stuck at Aspiration. But we don’t have to stay there. The higher levels are:

• Individual Expression – We become aware of our own uniqueness.

• Discipline – We give ourselves a command — and we follow it.

• Experience – We gain direct experience and act on those ideas.

• Mastery – We develop a high level of skill and mastery in a particular area.

Learning about these levels was an "aha moment" for me because I had often wondered why I couldn’t seem to grab that "golden ticket" in life. Once I understood the levels, I finally had a framework to identify where I was getting stuck.

There are several areas of life where we can apply this: spiritual, financial, physical, relational, and personal/professional. For a long time, I was focusing on just one or two of these, letting the others drift however they would. Understanding the levels helped me chart out where I was — and where I wanted to go — in each area.

And just when you feel you've mastered one area, there’s always a new goal inviting you to grow even further.

For example, in my personal and professional life, earning my high school diploma felt like a major achievement — I thought I had "mastered" that area. But soon I realized I would need a college degree to move forward. I went through the levels again to earn my bachelor’s degree. That took me further, but not far enough. To become a college professor, I needed a master’s degree. I earned that, but eventually realized that to reach the highest levels, I would need a doctorate — and so I did.

Both in school and in life, it seems there is always another level ahead, always another opportunity to stretch and grow.

No matter where we are or who we are, there’s always room for improvement. Understanding that is the first step if we want to keep growing and developing in every area of our lives.