This is like an extra dose of Prep Talk for the day!
I’ve mentioned before that I used to dance and I even used to do gymnastics briefly in elementary school. I’m not sure why, but I’m fairly certain that I’m more flexible now than I was then. I’m also not sure why I’m so obsessed with being flexible. I love being able to touch my toes. (I can even put my hands flat on the ground while standing… which may or may not be simply due to having short legs.)
Recently, I’ve been even more obsessed with becoming more flexible. I have (admittedly) bizarre goals regarding flexibility, including getting my splits back. Yes, the goals are pretty pointless… but I’ve got it in my head that this is something I want to accomplish.
The crazy thing though is that it has me thinking a lot about “flexibility” in general. Not just the Cirque du Soleil contortionists kind, but being flexible about life.
You know how one of the standard interview responses is to say, “Yes, I am hardworking and very flexible.” I used to think that saying you were flexible meant being able to do lots of different kinds of tasks and being okay with changing plans at the last minute. Or working in an environment where things changed rapidly. I think this is still a great quality to have. But since I’ve taken on my literal flexibility training, I’ve realized that there’s more to it.
Being flexible may be the end result, but there’s a lot of work that leads up to it. And you can constantly become more and more and more flexible with hard work. There’s definitely something to learn from this concept and it can be applied to real life situations, especially in the workplace. I’ve seen it absolutely first hand with myself too!
Let’s say, for example, that I am four inches away from being able to touch my toes. If every day I only go down as far as I think I can go… I’ll never get any closer to touching. I’ll remain four inches away forever. But, if every day I push a little bit farther down (even though it’s uncomfortable), I will eventually be three… then two… than one… inch away until one day my fingers graze my toes.
Relating back to real life: it’s really easy to never push yourself. Let’s face it, it’s comfortable. But you will experience absolutely zero growth. I’m actually convinced that you’ll probably regress because you’re so comfortable that you may become a little sloppy or lazy as a result.
Incremental changes will lead to BIG results in the long run.
Yes, you’ll have to suffer a little bit. It’s uncomfortable. You’re pushing yourself to new limits that you’ve never reached before. But you’re making yourself better. YOU are in control of your own personal growth!!! I mean, really… how awesome is that?
(Warning: Don’t push yourself too hard, too fast! Just like how you could injure yourself by over-stretching… you can do negative damage if you try to do too much all at once!)
xoxo
I love this! As a dancer, I find so many things from dance that I can apply to "real life," and this is definitely one of them! XO
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I absolutely love this, Carly! I completely agree that it is necessary to keep growing and pushing as a means of bettering ourselves (and getting closer to our goals!). I really like that you included a precautionary note regarding the difference between pushing and overextending, because it is SO important to note and feel. Usually positive change that actually sticks is done over time, with the exception of those magical things life occasionally throws at us, and so I believe stressing HOW to change is just as important as encouraging the healthiness of change itself.
I needed to hear this today.. I've decided halfway through my college career to completely switch my path into nursing, and have been worried about the difficulty of my classes. Reading this helped me to understand that you need to push through obstacles to get to the final result. Thanks so much Carly!
I've been a ballerina since age two, and have found the best way to become more flexible is to fully imagine yourself accomplishing your goal (whether it's touching your toes or taking a test) and then attempt to complete the task. Works every time! That's how I got all of my splits and full extensions!
Love this motto. So many people tell you it's good to be flexible, but I've never really thought about what it means. It's always seemed easy, but of course, nothing ever really is. Love the motto posts, and the backgrounds as well in general-your blog is like chocolate, I swear!
This is so relevant to a conversation husband and I were having today. I'm considering doing something that scares me a little but will help me to grow if I am willing to be a little "uncomfortable".
This is so relevant to a conversation husband and I were having today. I'm considering doing something that scares me a little but will help me to grow if I am willing to be a little "uncomfortable".
I also wanted to teach myself to do the splits! I stretched everyday last summer but one day I completely forgot about it… I am DEFINITLY going to try again!!!