How can I grow is a very personal question because we know where we are today and it begs the question “Where will I be tomorrow?”.
If you haven’t learned something new or grown in any way today, are you a better person?
My goal is to be a better person a year from now than I am today. To do that I must grow.
How do I grow? This is the same question as “How do I eat an elephant? One small bite at a time.
Transparency!
Realize that every part of growing necessitates transparency.
This is the foundation of everything. Practicing transparency means being vulnerable and honest, and accepting your story. You have to be honest, especially with yourself. Practicing transparency means complete honesty in where you’re at, what you’re struggling with, and the courage to chase that string down to find out why.
A big way to grow is to stop lying to ourselves. This is a habit we get into because we lie to others to seemingly make things better, keep our jobs, or to avoid an argument. We know it is wrong, but we see it as the best option in a sea of bad choices.
However, lying to ourselves? This is a huge no, no and we must stop immediately. We tell ourselves that everything is fine or we made the right financial decision or that we need that new gadget. Even when the evidence shows that we were wrong.
Failure is Growth!
We’re afraid of being wrong about the choices we make because it feels like a failure on our part. Instead of thinking about failure as a flaw, though, think of it as another step in your personal growth. When you start viewing mistakes as a necessary part of becoming better, it becomes easier to swivel when things aren’t headed in the right direction.
If it feels like your thoughts or behaviors aren’t lining up with your actions, stop and think about why that’s the case. Why do you feel that way? What’s causing your behavior? Are the justifications you tell yourself truthful or do they simply cover up an underlying reason?
It’s hard to open up truths about ourselves and our situations. Honesty takes strength. But once we do, we see things much more clearly. We’re given the opportunity to make changes and build and grow once again. We can change our direction at any moment. We do not need to continue to lie to ourselves. We can change that right now at this very moment. Do it now, what are you waiting for?
Spiritual Growth!
Lastly, a way that I am always anxious to grow is in my Spirituality. To me, Spirituality includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for our meaning in life. I simply want to get closer to answering the question “Why do I exist?”. I know that I can get closer to the answer if I spread some love, generosity, giving, caring, and happiness around. So I try to find a way to do one or all of these things every day.
How are you growing today?
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