Stretch

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! 😊

Over the last couple of weeks, I have thought a lot about growth, about being stretched, about leaning into to the difficult moments and learning, growing, and becoming all we are capable of becoming. Here is the thing, the fulfillment of the potential that we all want is often on the other side of challenging and difficult situations that few of us will choose to lean into and learn from. And as I thought of these things, I thought back to several things I had read in an excellent book titled, On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life, by John O’Leary. I want to share several of these excerpts with you this morning.

“But when we try to stay safe, when we strive to stay comfortable, we miss the great opportunities in life.

We all face moments when we would rather stay where we are. Whether we are too injured, or it’s too late, or it’s too scary, those excuses arise because we have been trained to keep our eyes down, on the rocky soil in front of us, trying to make sure we don’t trip. We’ve got to stay safe, we think. Looking down is just practical. Don’t want to look stupid. Don’t want to fall.

But when we are staring down at where we are, we can’t look ahead at where we could go. We miss the beauty of what’s possible. And we certainly can’t see the path to get there.

What we need is to return to the mind-set that whispers to us, “Anything is possible.” What we need is the courage to go back to the drawer where we tucked away our cape. You know, the one you used to wear when you were little, when life was full of limitless potential? We need to find the courage to put that cape back on. To look up at the horizon. To climb back onto the couch. And to dare to fly.

It’s time to dare again.

It might be painful.

But it will be totally worth it.”

“…stretching is never easy. It’s unwanted. It’s painful. It’s hard on all parties involved and in all facets of life. It’s not pleasant to be stretched and it’s not pleasurable to stretch others. Yet the pain of today unveils the possibility of tomorrow.

Stretching leads to growth.

Growth is frequently painful.

But “growth is the only evidence of life.”

John Henry Newman was a wise theologian, incredible thinker, and prolific writer. That is one of his most remarkable quotes. Think about it. Growth is all about new beginnings, a different direction, a budding relationship, a big move, that new position, a bold conversation, the daring venture, the next chapter in your life.

Growth is the only evidence of life.

The opposite is true, too. Stagnation is the first step to your grave.”

“Death seldom occurs overnight. It’s a slow fade. The changes can be subtle, but make no mistake: in choosing not to grow, we choose to die.

In today’s culture when things get uncomfortable, we often see it as a sign that something’s wrong.

But I know personally that we’ve got to learn to see discomfort differently. It may be a sign that something is right. It may be proof that we are growing in a new direction.”

“Things that come easy are seldom worthy. Stretching forward may not be fun, but it may possibly be something much more significant: life-giving.

Real growth is often unwanted, extremely painful, and ultimately completely worth it.”

Finally, I want to share a few quotes for us to consider:

“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”

- Pablo Picasso 

“True success is achieved by stretching oneself, learning to feel comfortable being uncomfortable.”

- Ken Poirot

“One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.”

- Abraham Maslow

“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.”

- Gail Sheehy

“Growth and self-transformation cannot be delegated.”

- Lewis Mumford

I get it, Friends! Stretching and growing is hard, scary, and often painful. My hope and prayer for all of us is that we will be willing to stretch and grow, that we will live this precious gift called life fully so that we can become all we were created to become.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious families, and please stay well! 😊

Kev