Contracting to Expand—A Lesson on Life and Transitions

Typically, the people who are attracted to my content are high achievers that set large goals for themselves—always looking to do the next thing or improve, naturally competitive, and constantly chasing achievement. While this can and often does bring immense success it is also a straight path to burnout. Routines are excellent because they help us stay grounded while achieving goals. Routines let us prioritize our mental and physical health needs so we can feel and perform our very best. That said, it is important to know when you may need to contract to expand. 

So, what exactly does that mean? Contraction and expansion work hand in hand. Take breathing for example. When you breathe in you contract—-and if you hold it at the very top of your breath you feel slight discomfort. Think of taking the breath as grounding yourself.—getting quiet enough to think about what you need/want. Then, holding your breath at the top yields discomfort. This is just like any time we are making a large transition or change in our lives—it is uncomfortable.

Then you can exhale, let things go, and expand. One cannot exist without the other. You cannot be in a constant state of expansion without having the necessary pauses and slight moments of discomfort that allow you to grow. Taking small moments to get quiet with yourself to figure out what you want and then pushing through the discomfort to get there is the only way to challenge your comfort zone. For my high achievers out there I would recommend that you take time to contract before you expand and you will be amazed at just how far you will go.