When does change and personal growth happen? To become an oak, the acorn must stop being a seed. To become a chicken, the chick must break out of the shell. Sometimes the status quo becomes painful or uncomfortable, and we must push forward, sometimes painfully, to another stage.

Consider the lobster. Its shell is static. When the lobster feels it becoming too tight, it must hide under some rocks, shed the shell, and wait for a new one to grow. We, too, can use times of adversity and discomfort to stretch and grow. Here, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski explains the process.

If you’re uncomfortable right now, consider if this may be the time to push yourself forward.