By Betsy Gonwa, 
“The exercises you are doing are helping,” the physical therapist said to me. Really? His words surprised me. I wanted to believe that what I was doing was making a difference, but I was doubtful. The image in my brain for steady improvement is a straight upward trajectory at a constant slope, much like a graph that might result from an algebraic equation. Unfortunately, my progress doesn’t look anything like that! Then he added, “But it will not be steady improvement. There will be ups and downs.”
That sounded more like what I was experiencing. For several days in a row, I awake pain free. And then one morning, I will awake, my fingers numb and unable to bend, and I will feel like I am back at square one. He seemed to be implying that what seemed erratic was normal. So, ups and downs are part of the path to improvement?
Apparently, when I set a goal to work toward and anticipate a steady unwavering upward trajectory toward that goal, it seems that I am not being realistic. What if I were to allow for ups and downs?
Today I had a morning that felt like a setback. Recalling the words of the physical therapist, I kept in mind the image of a different kind of graph, one that is irregular, with dips and peaks, one that reflects the way a human body progresses.
This more realistic image of how I will move forward is making a difference in my attitude. It is keeping the discouraging, giving up feeling at bay.
It seems a graph of human growth may look more like an ascent with valleys and resting places, switchbacks and plateaus, steep ascents and long slow, shallow grades. Moving sometimes up and sometimes down, yet gradually advancing to the end point. I set myself up for discouragement if I believe it will be otherwise.
My very human growth creates a unique graph in my life. An attitude of acceptance of this reality can make all the difference.
What kind of graph do you imagine when you think of growth? Does your graph need tweaking?
