Years ago, I bought my husband, Dave, a rock tumbler for Christmas (pictured above). He had a bit of interest in rocks and had mentioned having once had a tumbler. So, being the dutiful wife, I found one for him at a local toy store along with a supply of rocks. I thought this was a great idea for Christmas! The only problem was, I didn’t know how a rock tumbler actually worked. The black canister on top is empty. Dave filled it with the rocks and water mixed with a packet of grit, closed the canister, set it on top of the round wheels, plugged it in and, wow, this thing was noisy! It runs non-stop, tossing the rocks in the grit mixture and keeps going and going like the Energizer bunny. I had to turn it off every time I had a Zoom call!
We tried to muffle the sound by placing the tumbler on a round seat cushion and covering it with a box and, while that helped some, it didn’t eliminate the noise. This thing definitely needed soundproof walls.
But later (days or weeks later, that is) when Dave opened the canister, poured out the grit and looked at the rocks, he found real results from all that noise. The rocks (pictured on page two) were no longer rough; they were smooth and you could easily run your fingers over them in the palm of your hand. The grit had done its job, smoothing out the rough common stones, making them beautiful and we put them on display on a shelf in our living room.
I was reminded of this story while listening to one of Darren Hardy’s daily mentoring sessions. He shared a Steve Jobs story of a rock tumbler, drawing the conclusion, “Friction can be the catalyst for refinement, for betterment.”
In our lives, we go through times of grit where we may feel like we are in that rock tumbler, being tossed endlessly against things over and over, experiencing friction, making lots of noise in a process that seems to take forever (but will eventually end) and when it does, we can look back and see how our rough edges have been smoothed. Like a butterfly that emerges from a cocoon (transformed and more beautiful than before), we exit our symbolic rock tumbler, no longer a “common stone,” but as someone who has been refined with rough edges smoothed; we become something beautiful; we are transformed by the friction, and even though the process may feel long and noisy, we are actually better off for it.
Darren would encourage us to harness the friction that takes place in our proverbial rock tumbler. That friction leads to remarkable results. That is where potential is found and we can embrace it. “[Embrace] the grit that polishes ordinary rocks into extraordinary gems.” (Darren Hardy) Darren would say that excellence is made through this process. The friction you experience in your life can lead to remarkable results and excellence if you will embrace the process (noise and all).
Can you relate to the metaphor of the rock tumbler?
Are there some rough edges that need smoothing out?
Do you agree that friction can lead to refinement?
Recommended Resources
- Video – “Steve Jobs – Truly Believing in Team Results” (1:50) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaVFfqSk_Sc
Monthly Challenge
If you feel brave (and don’t mind some noise) find yourself a rock tumbler and some rocks. Put them in the tumbler with water and grit and turn it on. Be patient, endure the wait and see what you discover when you open it up and take the rocks out.