#459 A Welcome Mat. Leave the “out there… out there”

The smallest details can protect the biggest parts of our lives. We take a hard look at the humble welcome mat and find a powerful framework for boundaries, transitions, and the daily work of leaving the mess outside so our most important spaces can stay clear and calm.

Aaron Havens walks through the difference between cute, seasonal mats that signal a vibe and serious, heavy-duty mats that demand action. Using a grounded farm metaphor, we explore what happens when we skip the “scrub” and track the day’s mud—resentment, hurry, outrage—into the rooms where we rest and connect. You’ll hear how growth often shows up in the in-between spaces: a breath on the threshold, a moment to choose what crosses the line from out there to in here, a small ritual that prevents contamination and preserves energy for what matters.

We share practical “threshold tools” you can use right away: a porch pause to name what stays outside, a physical reset cue at the door, a short note that traps lingering thoughts before they leak into dinner, and a family or team norm that keeps devices out of sacred spaces. These simple moves create healthy friction, the kind that slows you down just enough to be intentional. By treating thresholds as tools, not decorations, you protect your attention, relationships, and inner home.

If the day has been a muddy field, don’t bring the barn into your kitchen. Scrub well, step in light, and let your home, mind, and team remain places where growth can take root. Enjoy the reflection, then tell us: What will you leave at the door today? If this sparked something, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Setting The Welcome Mat Metaphor
• 0:27 The Power Of In-Between Spaces
• 0:47 Cute Mats Versus Serious Mats
• 1:05 The Work Of Leaving Dirt Outside
• 1:45 Reflection And Invitation To Respond

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to message 459 of the Growth Instigators Hotline, where we examine an everyday normal object and assign it a deeper meaning. I'm Aaron Havens, your host and growth coach. What can a welcome mat remind us of today? Okay, a welcome mat is a transition zone. The mat sits between, quote unquote, out there and quote unquote in here. Growth often happens in those in-between spaces where we pause, breathe, and rest, and we get very serious about what's out there and in here. What I'm about to say will make a ton of sense if you grew up on a farm. Sh okay. Some welcome mats are cute, you know, the ones with Christmas trees, pumpkins, or summer themes on them. I mean, they serve a purpose, kinda, but not a lot of people actually stop and wipe off their feet on them before entering the house. These kinds are really just kind of cute. And then there are the welcome mats that mean some serious business. I mean, they're made of razor blades and barbed, and they even have side scrubby things to get the horn of your work boot clean and the sides. These are not for show. These are mandatory because before you get into that mud room, yeah, they need to be cleaned off your boots. Raise your hand if you know what I'm talking about. Out there and in here, what a good lesson. And sometimes leaving out there, really out there, requires a good amount of work. Believe me, it's worth it though. Scrub those boots well. If not, all the poop and mud and junk from the world of the farm out there will end up where you sleep and eat in here. What are some things you need to work at leaving behind today? Wow, a powerful lesson from a welcome mat. If you have thoughts you'd like to share, I'd love to hear them. Contact me at growth instigators.com or leave me a message after the beep. Keep instigating growth in all you do.