Quiet Question #1
An Invitation to Listen Inward Together
Hi Soul Minimalist!
During my spiritual direction training1 we often talked about our growth edges, those places either in our interior landscape or our exterior world where we were being invited to know, learn, or try in a way we had not previously been able to access. These are threshold moments in life where we know exploration will likely lead to something good, but we’ll need to tolerate some level of unease in order to get there.
You’ll likely know you’re approaching a growth edge when you sense discomfort, likely followed by resistance. The difference between a growth edge and a boundary line: one is an invitation to transformation, the other is a necessary guardrail to keep yourself safe. (This is my on-the-fly imperfect definition.)
If the threshold you approach leads to panic or a feeling of intolerability, likely you’re not standing at a growth edge that needs exploring but a boundary that needs honoring. Here is where you have to learn to discern the difference between danger and discomfort which, by the way, is not always easy to do. But that’s for a different conversation.
The location of your growth edge isn’t a permanent line but is one that’s always shifting. It can show up in any moment and in any area of life, a space between what is and what could be. This can be frustrating, life-giving, or scary depending on the day. (And of course sometimes it’s all three at the same time.)
One of the ways that helps me to name and explore my own growth edges is by asking and answering questions. That’s why I would like to highlight questions here on a more regular basis.
Once a month I’ll pose a question designed to spark reflection, conversation, or a gentle nudge toward helping you explore your own interior landscape. I’m calling them Quiet Questions (of course I am). One rule I’ve set: I will only ask questions that I’m willing to answer myself. So each post you’ll be able to read my answer before you leave yours. Here’s to going first!
You’re welcome to share your answers in the comments (which are always for paying subscribers only unless I say otherwise, which means it’s a smaller community of people) or you may just want to jot the question down in your own journal for personal reflection over time. It’s not about having right answers but about showing up with curiosity, honesty, and community. As always, there’s no wrong.
In answering today’s question, I can feel myself approaching my own growth edge! Here’s our first Quiet Question: