Growth is painful change is painful – Narayana Murthy

Growth is painful change is painful: I love this quote by Narayana Murthy that talks about the pains of staying stuck vs growing. I should point out that there’s pain on either side – whether we change or stay stuck. The choice is ultimately ours to decide what we do about this pain.

Growth is Painful, Change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you don’t belong! 

Narayana Murthy 

Growth is Painful Change is painful

Anything worthwhile is painful. It demands effort, patience and perseverance from us. This quote by Narayana Murthy is catchy since it points out that you can’t escape pain. Change is inevitable, we can’t avoid it at any cost. The best thing we can do is to decide how we react to this change. Of course, this means dealing with the pain head on instead of avoiding it. But avoiding pain or change only leads you to postpone this feeling of discomfort which only gets worse with time.

Growth is Painful, Change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you don’t belong! 
Growth is Painful, Change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you don’t belong! 

The meaning of growth is painful change is painful can be explained in the following themes:

  • Growth involves discomfort, moving out of our comfort zone
  • Change is difficult because it asks you to deal with uncertainty and new things
  • Staying stuck is worse than change because it makes you move backwards
  • Change is happening whether you like it or not – the best thing you can do is decide how you handle it
  • We have to take control of our situations and outcomes – that’s the only way to move forward

Growth is painful meaning

Why is growth painful? Because it asks you to take action, do something and work. Growth comes when you introspect, think deeper and find out what life is asking of you. Sometimes, this means facing uncomfortable situations or some of our insecurities. Although this growth appears to be painful in the short term, this leads us to eventual freedom. Growth is painful because you have to do something about your current situation, take action and lead a change. Staying stuck demands no action – but will lead to something worse with time. By that time, we have to work doubly hard to effect change and move ahead in life.

So yes, even if growth is painful, it is necessary to create the life we want.

Growth is Painful, Change is painful, but nothing is as painful as staying stuck where you don’t belong! 

Narayana Murthy 


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Vinay Nagaraju

Product Director with 10+ years in leadership roles - team building, product strategy, coaching and mentoring are a part of my everyday responsibilities. I write about motivational words that inspire us and shape our thinking and help us go beyond these thoughts to find what our minds are telling us and evolve.

This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Krity Kumari

    Yes i agree that was really worst but it give us a lesson to improve ourselves and make yourself to do what we want .

    1. Vinay Nagaraju

      Hello Krity, welcome aboard to inspire99. Your last few words say it all – it is all about what we want in the end and giving everything we have for that. After all, none of the changes happen in vacuum, atleast the ones we like don’t :)

  2. Matheikal

    Life is an endless process of pain, in short. That’s the reality. But you’ve made it look more optimistic and cheerful.

    1. Vinay Nagaraju

      Thank you Matheikal, those are very kind words. It is very inspiring to keep the move and push on. After facing a couple of big changes and living at the wrong end where I didn’t take them head on to make that change – I do feel the pain and frustration of staying stuck and not moving as fast to live life on our own terms. These things are horribly tough with passing time I think – the quicker we act – the better shot we have at living it on our terms

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