The Muscles We Forgot We Had

Recently my mom knit me a red scarf.

It is thick. Textured. I love it.

What makes it even more meaningful is this. She did not think she could do it.

Her arthritis has been bothering her, and knitting felt like something her hands simply couldn't do anymore. The repetitive motion. The tension. The strain.

But she tried anyway.

At first, it was painful.

And then, once she moved through that initial discomfort, her hands began to feel better. The very activity she thought would make her stiff unused muscles worse, made her stronger.

Now she is motivated.

Scarves for everyone!

It made me think about muscles we have not used in a long time.

Not just the physical muscles.

Leadership muscles. 💪🏼

The muscle of speaking up when it would be easier to stay quiet. The muscle of setting a boundary. The muscle of having a difficult conversation. The muscle of trusting your own judgment.

When we begin using those muscles again, it can feel uncomfortable. Even painful.

We often assume that discomfort is a signal to stop. But sometimes discomfort is simply reactivation(!).

Sometimes it is strength returning.

Growth is not always about adding something new. Sometimes it is about using what has been there all along.

I'm grateful Mom did not wait for her hands to feel perfect before she picked up her needles.

Because waiting for perfect is often how we keep our strength dormant.

Leadership works the same way.