give me an inch and i'll go a mile

i had a thought today about my pursuit of the people i look up to. i often feel a lot of anxiety about how to connect with mentors and navigate the space between reaching out and feeling like i might be bothering them. then a phrase came to mind. i believe the original saying is “give someone an inch and they’ll take a mile.” it usually carries a negative meaning, but i see it in a more positive light. i think of myself as someone who can take up a lot of space, but usually only in environments where i feel i have permission to do so. in the context of mentorship, if someone gives me even the smallest reason to believe i can approach them with my questions, aspirations, and anxieties, i tend to lean into that fully until they tell me i need to pull back. i try to convince myself it’s not an imposition unless i am told it is. i think this has been an imperative part of how i build my relationships with people who already have so much on their plate.

JR