Anyone else spend parts of their childhood waking up with aching pains in their legs and back? I seem to remember being a frequent flier on the “Mom, my legs hurt” train in the middle of the night! It wasn’t a potassium deficiency either – I ate enough bananas to put that theory to bed! So naturally, parental wisdom resorted to diagnosing it as classic growing pains.
Really, growing pains?
Why did growing have to be painful?
I guess thinking about it, the idea of bone structures, organs and tissues all expanding and growing does paint a pretty interesting picture that makes it a little more understandable. That’s how I console myself at least. Erica doesn’t quite have the same memories I do when it comes to growing pains, but I remember hating both the reality that I was experiencing pain and the answer that basically said – there’s nothing we can do, so go back to bed!
There happens to be a lot of truth wrapped up in those painful developmental years though. Rarely does anyone experience growth in anything without a little pain. No pain, no gain, right? If you’ve ever kicked January 1 off by hitting the gym for the first time in years, then you know that’s right! We didn’t ask them, but I can safely assume that our clients at Bernau Bodies didn’t get in the shape they are in without some pain during the journey. But it’s more than just physical pain.
Growing in any capacity can be painful. For example, starting something new. Starting at square one with something is never an easy position to be in. Committing to it and moving from square one to square two can be a painful step. Or maybe it’s moving on from a relationship or looking at the reality of living life without a loved one who has passed. It’s all incredibly painful stuff. But there is good news.
Sticking with it, grinding it out, accepting new realities and choosing to conquer them despite the pain related to growing through it yields incredible rewards. The process isn’t always fun, but it isn’t always supposed to be. Ripping muscle fibers over and over again so that they repair themselves and become larger in order to be a body builder just SOUNDS painful. And it’s a great picture for what real growth looks like. We came across an analogy from an unknown author that really brings the picture home: ‘We grow a lot like our muscles do. When pushed to our limits and torn open, we recover and grow stronger then we were before.”
If you are finding yourself in a painful situation, we’d encourage you to ask yourself what kind of growth opportunity there may be in the midst of the pain? What is that situation preparing you for? Changing our mindsets from dwelling in the pain to accepting it and recognizing the potential for growth is key to moving past it. Who knows, without those growing pains, I may have stayed 3 feet tall!
Here’s to exponential growth, friends!
Comments +