Three Stepping Stones to Growth

I am a big believer in movement for growth. We don’t always have to take big steps, but in order for us to not stay stuck in uncertainty, we need a sense of direction and progress to feel the calm. Although there are many stepping stones to growth, here are three to reflect upon:

1. Give yourself permission to heal on a day to day basis. When something happens in our lives that is a challenge, it almost always comes with pain and uncertainty. Due to our natural tendency to avoid pain and to get rid of that uncertain feeling, we will sometimes push away from what is happening to us. Instead, we can give ourselves permission to slow things down, to take things one day at a time, to be mindful of our feelings and to remind ourselves that healing is a process.
2. Notice the beauty around you. This can be a tough one when it comes to our often busy days that loom ahead of us. We often move from task to task without taking the time to notice our surroundings. Step outside at lunch and put your face to the sun; sit down by the river and marvel at the blues of the river, reflect upon the birds at the feeder, take in the fresh scent of a lilac. When we consciously pay attention to beauty around us, we feel thankful; a wonderful way to self-reflect.
3. Make space for joy and play. When we were children, this came naturally. While it is true that as children we held less responsibility and had more time for play, the important piece to notice is that we were also naturally drawn to it. When we carve time out for joy and play, we feed our creative minds, we remind ourselves that we are important, we build shared experiences with others, we strengthen connection, we create space for growth.

Photo credit:https://unsplash.com/@mroz