Experiencing growth makes me happy. Over the years, I came to realise the important role the basic idea of growth plays in my life.
There are many different ways in which we can grow. We can grow financially by increasing our wealth, or grow materially by accumulating things. We can grow physically by becoming stronger and fitter, or grow in status by acquiring accolades, followers, likes and clicks. We can grow our expertise and become more skilled. We can grow intellectually by acquiring knowledge and expanding our mental capacity, or we can grow spiritually by attaining higher consciousness and insight. I'm sure you can think of many other ways you can grow as a person.
Maybe experiencing growth makes us happy because growth is a key characteristic of life itself. Thus, growing makes us feel alive.
So, here's the question: Which type of growth do you focus on? Which type of growth feels nourishing and is most likely to create a lasting feeling of fullfillment and contentment? Maybe certain types of growth feel more satisfying at different stages throughout our lives than others.
There can be trade-offs. Growing materially can mean sticking to a career that leaves little room for intellectual growth. On the other hand, growing your skills may require a time commitment that's hampering the growth of social ties.
There can also be lucky breaks. Sometimes, unexpected growth can come off the back of growth in another area. Take the artist who attracts financial reward as a by-product of focusing on their artistic growth.
If you're faced with a big life decision, try approaching it from a personal growth perspective. What opportunities for growth lie in the different options? And where do you want to grow? What type of growth is serving your long-term happiness and wellbeing the most?
If you're dissatisfied with any aspect of your professional or personal life, checking where your growth currently resides can be helpful. Sometimes, simply becoming aware of the growth that's already taking place, possibly in unexpected areas, can be enough to shift our attitude towards the situation. Other times, we realise that action is needed to align our efforts with where we truly seek to grow.
Commentaires