A new approach to your self-discovery journey to unleash the power of YOU.

Written by Stacey Greer | May 2022

Have you ever been curious as to why some people appear to be happier and more successful than others? It can be difficult to comprehend what motivates others, or to consider how their lives have turned out so differently than ours. Why do we often feel dissatisfied with our lives yet can't seem to discover a means to change them?

You many feel as if something is missing in your life, but have you considered that you may be feeling this way because you are seeking happiness and fulfillment from sources other than within yourself?

The STRETCH Model™

I’d like to introduce you to the STRETCH Model™, which was created to help you to have the epiphanies and aha moments that will help you look deep inside yourself and uncover new information about yourself. This will inevitably lead to turning points in your life that will allow you to see clearly what choices you have so that you can make the changes needed for your life.

This proven, skills-based model was created to help you increase your ability to listen to and understand your emotional experience along with having a STRETCH capacity to evolve and grow. When you can live everyday ‘tuning in’ to yourself, you can align your choices with achieving what you want in your life…. even if it’s a little out of your comfort zone.

We all have a hidden side that only our mind, heart and soul can show us. When we explore ourselves, these beautiful aspects of our being will lead us to live meaningful lives where we have the power to decide what each day looks like.

The seven steps in the STRETCH Model™ are as follows:

Stimulate (Self) Curiosity: Curiosity increases your self-awareness and with awareness change becomes possible.

Track Thoughts and Feelings: Tracking thoughts and feelings allows you to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

Reframe Your Past: Tell your story in a way that releases the old layers of baggage that have held you back. Your new story holds truth and can now be told in a way that doesn’t blame yourself or others.

Exercise Self-Compassion: It’s time to tame your inner critic and tap into the powerful source of self-compassion and live with resilience and profound acceptance.

Turning Point: When something outside of you triggers the direction of your internal world it creates an opportunity for you to be an active participant in your life.

Capacity to STRETCH: When so many forces are stacked up against you, and you feel like you can’t possibly forge a new path, then this is exactly when you get to choose to keep going.

Harnessing Alignment: The ability to harness alignment is the key to living a life that is in line with your authentic self. When you align with your authentic self, you will have access to all the power and wisdom that you need to create the life of your dreams.

Introspection Takes Courage

We often spend so much time and energy looking outside of ourselves for validation and approval that we lose touch with our inner wisdom. When we quiet our minds and look within, we can find the answers to all of life's questions. This also helps us learn to trust our own intuition and to follow our hearts to true happiness and a more meaningful life.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that following the STRETCH Model™ takes courage. An important part of successful personal growth is having the courage to no longer ignore that there are parts of you that are soft, tender, and raw. Once you become aware of what these are, the temptation can be to hide those parts away and protect them. However, your emotions can teach you so much about yourself and can have a profound impact on how you choose to live your life going forward, which I’ve seen this time and time again.

When you allow yourself to experience your emotions, you learn the wisdom that was hidden beneath them. You’ll understand how you react, and more importantly, how you might want to react instead. You’ll discover more about how you love, how you cope with pain and rejection, and what you want in your relationships and your life.

Self-Knowledge through Self-Discovery

The key to unlocking self-knowledge is through self-discovery. This means taking the time to get to know yourself on a deeper level, beyond your everyday thoughts and feelings. It requires being patient and observant and accepting that you are a complex being with many layers. There is nothing about you that needs to be ‘fixed’ either. You are not broken. And it’s not about being perfect, it’s about making progress.

Self-knowledge is an ongoing journey that takes time and practice to develop. It starts with making a commitment to learning about who you are, what makes you happy, what stresses you out, and what your goals and values are. By exploring all aspects of your life - the good and the bad - you will gradually come to understand yourself better.

Your evolution is your responsibility. And it’s also the best ride you’ll ever have.