We all know the common idioms like, you are growing or you are dying. You just need to turn the corner. Bloom where you are planted. Progress over perfection. Growth is paramount to happiness. Who wants to live the same year over and over? Few speak however on how easy it is to get stuck. Routines become concrete. Familiarity feels safe. Our internal measures work hard against growth. Our nervous systems will always choose a familiar hell over an unfamiliar heaven. Growth must be a constant choice that our soul seeks. We have to hack over nervous system to emerge from the cocoon and soar as our true best self.
Growth requires sacrifice, pain, and sadly loss. Habits, places, people and things will not always survive the journey. In my opinion, nothing is more disappointing than potential that is not met. We all know that person that presents the same way at 40 as they did in high school. No judgement here, just sadness that they haven’t been able to break the chains that define them and grow. I believe the goal should be that you are almost unrecognizable to those that haven’t seen you in ten years. The version of ourselves that lives the dream of our souls doesn’t exist today. That life becomes reality through daily growth.
So how do we embrace growth? First, we must acknowledge that it is a painful process. Step two, make a plan. A contract with yourself if you would. And lastly, we must lean into the importance of growth to our purpose.
The importance of growth is shadowed by survival. Our bodies are wired to survive. Purpose, however, is distinctly separate. Purpose is our opportunity to thrive not just survive. Our purpose is hard wired into our soul. The devil is the king of distractions. We think we will be happy and start living sometime in the future. We think, when we graduate, when we get married, when we have kids, when we get a new home, when we get promoted, when we get some object, when we retire. It is a vicious cycle mired with even more distractions to living a purposeful life. Our souls ache for growth that leads to purpose. Each milestone might give us a short-lived dopamine spike but no real joy. Seeking growth and living for purpose is the ultimate life hack. Less actually is more. Less consumption, less focus on self, less focus on the physical, less vehicles for escape, in a nutshell less rat race. Growth gives us a life full of serotonin that opens the door for joy, contentment, selfless love, belonging and peace.
Because growth leads to purpose and truly transforms our existence. We must plan to seek it daily. Those without a road map rarely arrive at a new location. Most importantly, we must frame our minds. We don’t have to accept any negative thoughts. We must seek to dismiss them. To choose where the energy of our minds rest. Just realizing that it is a choice is epic. It truly wakes you up. Your thoughts are everything. Gandhi spells it out, your thoughts become your words, words become behavior, behavior becomes habits, habits become values and values become your destiny! So, the key to any plan for growth is to start with controlling our thoughts. One exercise to try is a daily mantra to set the expectations of the day. Things like to give, to love, to serve. Asking God to fluid you with his Holy Spirit so that your thoughts, words, actions are in line with his will. Claiming that all is well and that everything is working toward your highest good. As Jon Gordon explains we must speak truth to the lies that strive to live in our thoughts. We must remind ourselves that we are here for a reason. You have a purpose. There is greatness in you.
So, you realize growth is important and you have a plan. What goes wrong? Well, it is hard. Life happens. When we are hit with pain or loss, we don’t feel like being positive and grateful. We question the fruitfulness of being selfless and giving to others. God has given us the keys. Controlling our thoughts leads to control over our nervous system. Gratitude and giving are life hacks to joy and abundance. We must seek to walk into growth realizing that it will be hard. Others will speak against you. You will hear things like you are too old to change. We live in a society that screams to do what feels good in the moment. We have the illusion that we have time. One more drink, one more hour of social media, one more unhealthy meal, one more day without apologizing, one more day of gossiping….well those things are easy. Living a life of growth and purpose is hard but the rewards are abundance. The path less taken. Each challenge is a blessing and an opportunity.
Wishing each of you a year of growth and purpose. When you have a mishap as we all do. Do the hard work of shaking off the fall and starting again. What an amazing gift each sunrise brings. I pray we treat each one like it is our last. Ringing every last ounce of joy, gratitude, giving, forgiveness and love from the hours until our heads hit our pillows for rest to hopefully get the chance to see another day.