Stretching

Rubber bands are a good metaphor for the resilience and challenges of life. We are often called to stretch to hold things together which can result in growth and that is positive. When the load is right, we can hold it together then bounce back from stretching to get ready for the next challenge. Flexibility is key so we adapt into the shape needed to keep things together.

Sometimes we are asked (or required) to stretch ourselves beyond our limits, which we can do for a bit, but without workload adjustment, we may reach our limit. And, if we hold that position for too long, we may lose our ability to bounce back. That’s what we call burnout. I suspect we can all relate to a time this happened.

• What are your queues indicating you are stretched too far? 

• What’s your next step when those queues are pinging?

It’s important to set boundaries to avoid overextending ourselves 

• Are the boundaries you set respected by others? 

• Do you respect your boundaries? 

Being resilient and having the ability to bounce back is celebrated but what if we set and respect our limits and didn’t reach the point of burning out? How would your life transform?