Stretch A Little Bit More…
I’m going to make a small confession — I can’t touch my toes in yoga yet. And I know I need to stretch some more, and then still some….but I’m getting there slowly and steadily… I’m sure it won’t be long before I’ll happily touch those polished toe nails that are still elusive.
I’ve now realised that whenever you want anything in life, all you need to do is ‘stretch a little bit more’. This theory can be applicable to just about any aspect of your life.
What’s more if you actually do stretch some more each time, the results are tangible… You can feel a steady transformation in your life. By pushing yourself a little more each time, you are training your mind and body to overcome its limits and increase its endurance.
Stretching some more is a test of will power…you have to get yourself to a certain level first, maintain it, and then take yourself to the next level. This requires persistence, determination and plenty of internal and external motivation.
When you bring all these into play, you’re not just stretching yourself, but also raising the bar for others, achieving new milestones as you continue in your journey.
Let’s look at a few examples in life where we could stretch some more…
Fitness
In yoga, stretching and staying in a particular pose is paramount. In the gym, how many times has your trainer told you ‘just one more set’. Or at a marathon, you have few a more seconds steps before you reach the finish line, so you push yourself to continue running…
All you need to do is motivate yourself to go on, rather than quit and give up…the resultant feeling will be one of immense satisfaction.
Diet
‘Just one more bite’ is what you tell yourself if there’s delicious cake in front of you. It’s easy stretch out for the wrong foods, to make those small concessions, and give in to taste rather than health… But what if we stopped and stretched our will power to curb that temptation?
Reach out instead for healthier, energy giving foods that sustain you longer, and preserve your mind and body.
Dreams
It takes courage to dream big, and work at making those dreams come true. While the world may mock your grandiose dreams — or not even understand them — you have to keep at them, giving yourself more time and focus to achieve what you want…
Stay at your dreams and pursue them with conviction till they reach their rightful destinations… This approach will reward you in manifold ways.
Thoughts
Very often those who dream big also need to expand their ways of thinking…they need to absorb and accept different viewpoints. To build on your existing worldview, keep challenging your existing thought process by reading or opening yourself up to new experiences. New ideas seldom occur from old ways of thinking…
Stretch your mind a bit, include new ways of learning and thinking, and see how you can use them to benefit your life and work.
Travel
Visiting new places in the physical, mental and emotional realms can be challenging, uncertain and scary. But it helps to go where you haven’t gone before… The views you see may transform you, giving you a fresh perspective to your life and the lives of those around you.
So take those few steps into uncharted territory, and open your heart and mind to experiencing it completely.
Compassion
It takes time and effort to help someone else, to stop doing things for yourself and reach out to meet the other’s needs… You could mentor someone and help them reach their professional goals, or do service for the underprivileged, or simply listen to someone who needs a non-judgmental ear...
If we stretch and include someone in our lives, the responsibility and compassion that we feel will bring more meaning to our lives…and also make us better human beings.
Self
To achieve what we desire, we need to move beyond our comfort zones, but for that first we need to understand who we are and what we want to be. We also need to assess our strengths and limitations are, and how we can work on improving ourselves. For this we need to stretch ourselves better through meditation, quiet time, or introspection.
Once we understand ourselves better, we can make more sense of life and our roles in it…eventually helping us create a more lasting impact in the world.
Thus, stretch if you must, stretch if you trust, stretch some more, stretch till you grow!
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