Is This What Growing Pains Feel Like?🌱

EDITION 8

I’ve been thinking a lot about growing pains this week—the kind that show up not just in our limbs or lungs, but right in the heart of our everyday lives.

I thought back to how, when I recommitted to running after a good few years of, well… not even jogging, it was a lesson in discomfort. I could barely make it a few hundred meters before my body begged for mercy. But I stuck it out, bit by bit—sweat, ache, breathlessness—until one day a 5K felt normal. It was never easy, but the progress tasted all the sweeter because of the pain it required.

Maybe that’s why anyone who’s done anything worth doing will tell you: “Just start.” Don’t wait for the stars to align. They know what many of us are slow to realize—there’s no way around the fire if you want that perfect toasted marshmallow.

But as much as I can stick out physical discomfort (and even though I know pain is needed to gain anything worthwhile), it’s a different beast when it comes to stepping into the world, being seen, and stretching for my full potential—especially in work and life. Funny enough, I can face inner storms, but the real discomfort for me lives in daring to succeed or fail publicly, in front of those I see as accomplished. There’s a glass ceiling, not made of skill or motivation, but of old insecurity.

Maybe you know that feeling too: that moment when you sense you’re capable of more, but you hesitate at the edge of the unknown—contained by the comfort you know, even if “comfort” isn’t truly comfortable anymore.

Sometimes it’s easier to push our limits physically; sometimes it’s mentally or emotionally. For me, the real challenge is letting myself be fully seen, somewhere public, at that so-called table of “success,” without pre-emptively self-editing, without hiding out of fear of being too much—or too little.

But regardless, there’s this odd pattern. When it comes to changing anything—habits, careers, relationships—we flinch and avoid, even when we know it holds us back.

This week, something from Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet nudged me (again). He wrote:

Gibran originally spoke about the pain within love, but I feel like this truth can be applied to growth of self as well. If life is asking for a version of you that doesn’t quite exist yet, maybe discomfort isn’t a warning sign after all. Maybe it’s a signal you’re exactly where you need to be. Like a seed breaking open, this pain could be the beginning of something bigger…

It isn’t easy. Sometimes it arrives as a quiet, prolonged ache in the bones. Sometimes it’s a sudden, unplanned adventure with old friends that shakes you loose from hermit mode. (This weekend, what should have been a quick “hi-bye” became a full-on late-night soul reset. My liver may not be grateful, but my heart certainly is.)

Isn’t it curious how often the unexpected finds us just as we’re stretching? The surprise expense, the sideways life event, the awkward conversation—little reminders that growth isn’t just about the changes we choose, but how we respond when our best-laid plans go sideways. I keep trying to remind myself: even the uninvited stuff—the friction, the worry—plays a part in our becoming. Maybe, just maybe, they’re the universe’s way of stretching us into something bigger too.

Every time I step, even reluctantly, out of my cocoon, I’m reminded that growth rarely happens in the safety of routine. It happens when we open ourselves to the unknown, trust ourselves to handle what comes next, and let life surprise us for once.

Writing this newsletter each week (into our eighth today—can you believe it?!) has been its own realization: a necessary push toward growth. Every send is a step further into discomfort and discovery—proof that, just like running, if I keep plugging away, one step (or edition) at a time, past the unease, I really can achieve anything. The path ahead just keeps getting wider and more wonder-filled with each attempt.

I hope this lends a bit of inspiration to you, too:
Every big leap starts with a wriggle of discomfort. But that’s just proof you’re expanding.

Here’s to the pain that comes before the limitless possibility, and to finding ourselves somewhere entirely new—a little further along the gravel road to somewhere more amazing than we ever thought we’d go.

ACTION INVITE: STRETCH A LITTLE

Trying something unfamiliar is always a bit awkward—but it’s how we grow, one small experiment at a time. A few gentle ways to practice stretching this week:

• Name your edge: What’s one area where you feel just a bit uncomfortable or “not enough” right now? Write it down—even if it’s messy.

• Tiny risks over big leaps: Do one small thing to nudge your limits: send that email, share a rough draft, ask for the feedback you want, or let someone see an unfinished idea.

• Reframe friction: Next time an unexpected bill, tough conversation, or sideways life event lands, pause and ask, “Is this an invitation to grow, to see what I’m capable of here?”

• Spot your wins: Jot down even the smallest moments you stepped outside your comfort zone this week. Every stretch is a sign you’re expanding.

Remember, growth isn’t a grand gesture. It’s made of many small, brave wriggles. 🪱 

That’s all for now.

Until next week!

Always light,

Shanna "out here growing" Lindinger

P.S. What was your latest leap into the unknown? Hit reply and share your story! I’d love to hear how you’re stretching into your becoming.

P.P.S. If you missed last week’s edition, you can catch it here.

WILDER ESSENTIALS

What's On Shanna’s List of Things Right Now

▶ Thinking Spot: Coastal path walks with the pooch

▶ Podcast pick: The Rich Roll Podcast

▶ Current read: The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest

▶ Writing setup: MacBook Pro + simple notebook and pen

Let’s keep exploring together