When Growth Feels Like Discomfort The word stretch sounds empowering until you’re in the middle of it. Stretching means expanding beyond what’s comfortable, confronting what’s hidden, and holding steady when old habits want to pull you back. For a long time, I equated growth with achievement: degrees, promotions, milestones. But the real growth happened in the quiet moments when no one was clapping. It happened when I stopped asking, “What do people need from me?” and start
