Fifteen years ago, when I opened Synergy Fitness, my mother-in-law sent a plant to congratulate us on opening the gym. The plant had some rough years, but it made it through them all—and even made the move with us when we closed Synergy Fitness and opened M2B Fitness.
For all the years at Synergy Fitness, my dad would take care of the plant. My dad’s name is Larry, and when I was a kid I had a best friend who always called him “Slarry.” So we affectionately gave the plant the name Slarry.
When we moved to M2B, Slarry began to thrive in its new home.
Slarry was doing so well that it was time for a bigger pot. Not only that—it was time to split Slarry into two plants. A client of mine, Denise, helped separate Slarry into two pots. When she finished, she said, “Well, now you have Mary and Slarry.”
New pots.
New dirt.
New growth.
Not so fast…
A couple of days later, Mary and Slarry started getting brown leaves. Some parts of them were dying, while other leaves looked healthy and shiny.
Mary and Slarry are a good example of what happens to us sometimes.
We grow and thrive in our comfort zone. But when it’s time to step outside that comfort zone and we finally do, some parts of the old begin to die away.
Just like my plants at M2B, some of those parts must fade so that we can grow in the new environment. Sometimes the old has to go so the new can grow.
My challenge to each of us is to remember that when we move from comfort to growth, we may experience some dying away of the old to make space for the new.
New pots.
New dirt.
The dying of the old to make room for the new.
The Cost of Growth.