7 Simple Steps to Personal Growth
Personal growth means different things to all of us. We are all on our unique journey. Here are a few simple steps to help along the way.
We often try to complicate personal growth. We think that personal growth is this big aha! the moment that will change our life. That suddenly one fine day during our meditation we will come upon the truth and from that point on, we will never be the same.
But that is far from the truth. That may be some people's experience, but most of us experience personal growth in the little things. Discovering a nugget of wisdom in a simple article, much like this one. Or stumbling on an obvious subconscious belief that we just couldn’t see earlier. And for most of us, the journey of personal growth is simply getting up each day and trying our best. It is the constant work we put in to better ourselves every chance we get.
This article is not groundbreaking. It is an article full of life lessons that we probably already know, but it's something you need to read today, again. It is just a simple reminder that we hope gives you a little nudge today.
Stop Caring About What Others Think
We believe that people who can follow the voice that is guiding them from within are truly free. If you can let go of the fear of what others think, then you need to pat yourself on the back. This is not easy to do for many of us. We are so afraid of judgment that we give up on our authentic selves in the process of pleasing others.
If there is only one thing you can do, then let it be this. Stop caring about what others will think of your life. It does not matter. And if this is the only thing you have been able to do so far in life, and you are feeling like you alienated everyone by making a decision that is right for you, then we are here to tell you to stick with it. Don’t give that up. We know you may be feeling hurt and lonely and vulnerable right now, but this too shall pass. We promise.
Take Care of Yourself First
We’ve said this before, you cannot pour from an empty jug. Unless you are taking care of yourself, you cannot help anyone else. Because despite what we’ve been led to believe, harming yourself to heal others is not healthy or mighty. It is certainly not a brave act. Addressing others' concerns without truly addressing yours is running away from the reality within, and a disservice to yourself.
This is a simple yet important life lesson for personal growth.
Embrace the Tough Times
When we are going through some really difficult times, we shut ourselves out. We try not to feel the hurt and the pain. We believe that denial will make everything better. We do everything in our power to fight this tough period. Because in the hurt and pain and misery we haven't take a moment to just stop and take a deep breath. We did not try to calm ourselves and ask – okay, so we are here. It sucks. But we are here. So, what opportunity awaits me? This is no curveball from life (you are not a victim). This is an opportunity and at the very least a learning lesson. So, what am I missing?
Learning to embrace this tough period as a learning lesson can change your perspective in life. It can flip the switch. Instead of looking at this period as something you need to get over, you learn to make the most of it. So, dear reader, embrace the tough times. Learn from them. That there is personal growth for you.
Walk Away from Disempowerment
The hardest thing you will ever do is walk away from something or someone you love. But that is exactly what you must do in situations that disempower you, no matter how you feel about them. This also means that sometimes you may have to change your vision or even let go of some of your dreams. It is worth it. Nothing and no one is worth your authenticity and peace of mind. You deserve to be unapologetically you. Today and always.
If you’ve been feeling a little disempowered lately, here are a few tips on how to reclaim your power.
Enjoy Your Own Company
We believe that this one is a cornerstone of personal growth. Enjoying your own company.
Many of us are still grappling to be okay with ourselves. Because the negative self-talk is constantly diminishing us from within. You need to understand your negative thought patterns and learn to get out of the vicious circle of self-criticism. That is the first step to learning to enjoy your own company. It’s not as hard as you think. You must try. The results are worth it.
If you are wondering how to begin on the journey of self-love, you can start here.
Accept That You Cannot Control Everything
Relinquishing control over something (even if that control is an illusion) is never easy. We believe that we have control over every situation in our lives. And just when things were going our way, life decides to put us in a situation that we never imagined.
Personal growth starts with accepting that you cannot control everything. Sometimes life will decide to take its course. You cannot control what happens to you. But you can control how you respond to that. So, while everything may not be in your control, some things are. And they can make all the difference.
If you’ve been feeling a little out of sorts lately, and life just seems a little out of control, then here are something you can do to control your life.
Be Grateful
This one is rather simple. Being thankful for whatever you have in life is a sure sign of personal growth. If you can be thankful every day for where your life is, no matter what is happening in it, then life will send you more things to be grateful for.
Gratitude has been shown to have numerous emotional and mental benefits. Various studies show that living in gratitude is the best state of being. This is one thing that religion and science both agree on.
If you want to live a life of gratitude or if you just want to incorporate a few simple gratitude practices into your life, then we recommend that you start here. Here is a simple guide to practicing gratitude.
You Will Connect the Dots
When we are going through a rough patch in our lives, we often ask a rhetorical question to the higher power we all talk to sometimes (call it God, Universe, or Nature). We ask why me? Why is this happening to me? While we don’t recommend victimization, we do believe that life answers that question for us in a different way, but in its own time. After years, we look back to the rough situation and understand why that happened. We can look back and connect the dots. We had to go through that experience to get here. To where we are today.
Trusting that the universe has your back and that you will connect the dots at some time is an important step for personal growth.
Why our need to get everything now and putting things off for the last minute is killing our chances of success.
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Good Things Take Time
Debbie Milman once famously said that everything worth having almost always takes time. In our world where we’ve become used to expecting everything instantly, this concept may be hard for us to accept at first. But if you think about it, all things that come to us without much ado, either do not last, are overrated or, we simply don’t value it enough. When we work towards a goal, we consciously bring it into our awareness and life. And when we have it, we value it and appreciate it the way it was intended to be. So don’t be in a rush to get everything today. Let go of that control and trust the higher power to bring it to you at the right time.
Remember that personal growth is a personal journey, your journey will likely be very different than ours. As you go along the way, remember that there is no yardstick of success. This is not a competition; you don’t even have to outdo yourself. You just have to walk the path. In your way. That in itself is enough.
We hope you enjoyed this little article on personal growth. Please let us know in the comments what your moments of personal growth have been. We’d love to hear from you.