stretch yourself.
Celebrate the Small Wins
Maybe right now it feels like a bad idea to try something new. To learn. Grow. Or be curious.
There is so much wrong in the world. A global crisis. An unprecedented pandemic. Loneliness. Fear. Loss.
There’s no way to sugar coat it. Nowhere to hide. No cowering under covers.
But I would suggest that in the midst of all the negative we continue to find ways to stretch ourselves.
Whether it’s planting a garden. Cooking a new recipe. Or organizing a closet.
Keep it simple. Keep it small. And then celebrate.
My celebration came last Friday as I finished editing the final video for my “30 Days of Creativity” series.
This was no small accomplishment.
Suffice it to say that I was ill-prepared and in over my head. It was a bumpy ride but I somehow finished.
My small win.
I’m not recommending that you blindly start something like I did.
Plan it out. Consider time commitments. Factor costs. Acknowledge your stamina.
What I am saying is that sometimes you just need to begin rather than languishing in good intentions.
It’s easy to make excuses. Create obstacles. Obsess on problems. Focus on the lack of money, space, and time.
And maybe that’s true. Maybe it’s all true.
But I’m going to suggest that rather than looking at all the reasons you can’t do something you muster the courage and find a way to begin.
Stretch yourself.
Your stretch might be to put together a photo book for a deceased friend’s daughter. It might be to take an online watercolor class despite having issues with fine motor skills. Or it might be figuring out how to single-handedly build a fountain in your backyard.
I don’t know.
What I do know is that you don’t have to have it all figured out upfront. You just need to take the first step. Then keep stretching yourself. Keep trying. Keep learning.
Before you know it you’ll be finished.
Looking back you’ll be so glad you started. And even happier that you stretched yourself.
Time to celebrate your small win.
Cheers.
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”