I laugh about this now when I think about it. Of course, I am not in the discomfort of it at the moment, and it brings a smile to my face.

Another example of growing and stretching that I think about is with my little one. She was delayed in all of her milestones. It took a long time to her to roll over. Tummy time never lasted long as she was too weak to endure it. She didn’t really move her legs, so she wouldn’t use them to help her maneuver around.

The most interesting part of this was that she would always get the toy that she wanted. We would watch as she would stretch herself over and over and after a very long time, she would achieve her goal. She would get the toy that she wanted.

It seemed as if she was doing nothing but stretching for the longest period of time and then all at once, she would have the toy in hand. It was such an amazing thing to watch. Her ability to have that enduring patience to accomplish her goal. To not get frustrated and give up. She has always amazed me in this way.

Lately, I have been hearing over and over about stretching in talks and podcasts. I decided to look it up. Of course, google gave me tons of information on the actual stretching of muscles. Finally, I came across a question that asked how do you stretch yourself in life?

It said: Cultivate new hobbies, read different genres, and take a class unrelated to your work. Exploring new interests exercises your mind and often uncovers unexpected aptitudes. Surround yourself with people who inspire you. Seek out relationships that stimulate and challenge your thinking.

There are so many more suggestions, I invite you to search for yourself.

I also came across the “don’t stretch yourself too thin” metaphor. This means to try to do too many things at once. I have done that.

Try to find a good balance. Don’t look for a huge change that will overwhelm you. Keep the progression small and simple. As you find your balance, you will be able to proceed at the perfect pace for you.

Keep in mind a baby learning to sit up, then to pull up on weak legs, then to stand holding onto something, and then cruising along a couch. Finally, after all of these have been in place for long enough, the leg muscles are strong enough to support them. They have found what balance feels like.

They are now ready to try and stand unassisted and to use the balance that they have experienced so far to try and take steps. They will have moments when their legs give out. They might overstep and lose their balance. But as they watch everyone around them walking around, they regain their determination and try again.

Keep this in mind as you stretch yourself and grow. I have had a lot of stretching in the last 17 years. I am so glad that I decided to make the effort to do so. I am so much happier in my life now. I learned to do hard things.

There were times when I stretched myself too thin. There were times when I lost my balance frequently. I took time to rest and recalibrate myself. Then I continued to stretch and grow some more.

If this sounds too hard, look for a friend to stretch with. A partner that can be your cheerleader. You will grow together in the most amazing ways. I am excited for you to experience this.