Last week, I wrote about being told that my scope was too small. I had been thinking about that statement for some time. About how easy it is to remain within the boundaries of what we know. How sometimes we limit ourselves without even realizing that we are doing it. Then I mentioned the blog to someone. Their response made me pause. “But what about when you bite off more than you can chew?” And just like that, the other side of the conversation appeared.
My mother would probably say it differently. She would say, “You put your hat where your hand can’t reach.” I smiled when I thought about it because there is something about those old sayings that stays with you. They are simple, but they carry meaning. And maybe that is the question. How do we know when we are stretching ourselves and when we are simply taking on too much? Do we push ourselves toward something that feels bigger than us, even when we are not entirely sure how we are going to get there? Or do we stop because there comes a point when we have to recognize that something may simply be beyond what we can manage? But then again, do we really have to stop?
Maybe stopping is not always the answer.
Maybe sometimes we slow down.
Maybe we take a step back.
Maybe we reevaluate the situation and figure out what we missed along the way.
Perhaps what seemed too big was not impossible. Perhaps we simply needed to approach it differently. I have watched people take on things that, from the outside, appeared to be far more than they could handle. Sometimes they did not seem to realize how big the task really was until they were already deep into it. And I have wondered what happens at that point. Do you keep going because you have already started? Do you stop and admit that it is too much? Or do you learn as you go?
I suppose there is a difference between challenging yourself and overwhelming yourself. But where exactly is that line? And who decides where it is? Sometimes the things that seem too much at the beginning become manageable once we begin to understand them. What looked impossible becomes familiar. What felt overwhelming becomes part of our everyday lives. Then there are other times when we realize that we really did take on more than we could manage. But even then, was it really too much? Or was it simply more than we knew how to handle at that particular moment? Maybe “too much” depends on where we are standing.
What is too much for one person may be exactly the challenge another person needs. What feels overwhelming today may feel ordinary tomorrow.
And perhaps that is why I am not sure that we ever really reach the point where we can confidently say, “This is as far as I can go.”
Maybe we keep discovering that there is more. More to learn. More to understand. More to become. So perhaps the question is not always whether we should stop. Maybe the question is whether we need to pause. To breathe. To look again. To decide whether we need to change direction, get help, learn something new, or simply give ourselves more time. Because sometimes it is too much. And sometimes it is just enough. It may all depend on your point of view. What do you think?
Have you ever taken on something that felt like too much, only to discover that you were capable of more than you thought? Or have you ever realized that continuing was not the same as pushing forward? Maybe knowing the difference is one of the things we spend our lives trying to figure out.
See you soon! Join me again next Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. (Bogotá time) for another reflection on life, faith, growth, and the lessons we learn along the way. If this week’s reflection encouraged you, there are many more thoughtful reflections in my book, “Thoughts on Life”, now available.
Before you go, I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below. Every perspective is valuable, and your insights often help me see things in a completely different way. If you’re not comfortable commenting publicly, feel free to reach out to me through any medium. I’d love to hear from you.
Your feedback not only encourages me, but it may also inspire a future blog and help someone else who reads it. You never know how your words might make a difference.
Remember, life is meant to be lived, so always strive to live your best life.
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