It’s a super popular saying in personal growth and leadership development circles that I’m sure we’ve all heard at some point:

“If you’re not growing you’re dying”.

I believed this thought for many years and on the surface it appears true. There really is no “pause” button in nature. But recently as I’ve come to the end of a very busy season and have been looking forward to a season of rest, I’ve been wrestling with this concept. Or maybe more accurately, I’ve been wrestling with how I have interpreted this concept over the years.

What I have heard in this saying is: never stop hustling, there is no ceiling, there are no limits, there is always a new level to reach, always a new height to achieve. And if you do pull back, slow down or God forbid - quit - then you’re dying. There’s no in between. No nuance.

And to be completely honest… that. sounds. exhausting.

I was marinating on this idea while driving through my neighborhood the other day and realized, you know at some point, these trees stopped growing taller. They reached their height. They matured. And they didn’t stop living.

Depending on the variety, it can take an apple tree 5-8 years to fully mature. And you know what they do then? They produce fruit. They cycle through seasons. They live through Winter when their leaves have fallen and they won’t produce anything until Spring. Does that mean they are dead or dying? Not at all!

I realize this may seem like semantics, the difference between “growing” and “producing”. But I think it’s important to tease out the differences, especially in our growth obsessed culture.

Definitions

• Growing: becoming greater in quantity, size, extent, or intensity

• Producing: to bring into existence; give rise to

This year we made an intentional decision with our business to not open any new stores. We’re not growing. And we wanted to pause this growth specifically so that we can produce. We are bringing into existence an exclusive collection of dresses. We have given rise to some new practices and procedures that have made us a more healthy and vibrant business. In spite of not growing, we are very much alive.

If you have interpreted this catchy saying similarly to me, I hope you can find some freedom and rest and relief from the pressure to “never stop growing”. I hope you can recognize the signs of life in whatever season you may find yourself, even if it’s Winter.

Is it true that if you’re not growing you’re dying? Maybe. But maybe not.