Growing pains

Growing pains. Originally, it was the term used for the muscle aches and pains that kids sometimes get. But it is also often used to describe the process we go through when we are venturing into something new.  

I’ve been thinking a lot about growing pains lately, as I go through a ‘growth spurt’ of my own. Transitioning into this new career has brought up more discomfort that I would have imagined.  Fear, uncertainty, doubt, anxiety – I’ve felt them all, and then some!

But let’s face it. Whenever we make a change in our life – changing jobs, beginning or ending relationships, taking on a new challenge, exploring new ways of being – it’s going to feel uncomfortable. Because it’s different, and our bodies are geared to proceed into the unknown with caution.

But here’s the thing. You can be uncomfortable AND keep growing and moving towards your goals. Acknowledge your feelings, recognize them as part of the process, and let them pass, as they always do.

Because here’s the other thing. It’s not the feelings that come up that keep us stuck or send us scurrying back to our comfort zone. Nope. It is emotion’s ‘mental sidekick’ that will take us out. That voice that whispers (or shouts in some cases) “You can’t do this. Who do you think you are? This is never going to work. You are too [insert the voice’s favorite putdown here] to have what you want. Etc.”

Helpful? Not so much.  So, the real work is learning to recognize and then ignore any mental chatter that might try to keep you from moving forward. Say ‘no thank you’ to the voice (admittedly, sometimes I use salty language depending on its persistence! Feel free.).

Today, I invite you to think about where you might be having some growing pains of your own and how you can combat that pesky voice. So that you can keep growing, stretching, and reaching for your highest height and your greatest potential!