There is a saying about how the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. Sometimes starting new things is painful; we are forced to confront our past selves. We mourn the fact we did not start sooner: we regret. While grieving the past, we must lift our eyes to the future. It is easy to get trapped in a circle, a hamster wheel where we feel like we cannot – or should not? – start over. No, it isn’t “me,” “it isn’t something I would do,” “I don’t know where to start,” or, maybe event the brutally-honest, cripplingly-self-aware “I don’t think I can.”

But why do we think that? Growth can hurt. As our limbs fill out, they stretch and bend. They have never been this big before.

Lean into it. Resist the urge to avoid change. Don’t fear the uncomfortable feelings – use them as motivation. New things (or quitting old things) can be scary and challenging. But, scary and challenging can be exciting, it can be thrilling. The realization of wasted time can be a dull ache, or a punch to the head, yet it can be a wake up call:

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. It would alive and fierce today, struggling through the cool February days. In a few months, it would have the most beautiful buds, a reminder of growth and life.

But, the second best time to start?

The second best time to start is today.