Growing & Glowing

I once heard someone say that they didn’t like change and it was a like a light bulb went off in my head. I realized that I, too, did not like change

This was years ago. I think I was in high school but I took that and ran with it. So in turn, I became resistant to change. I went through extreme measures to avoid it and sought routine. Took me years to realize I was on the wrong track and stunting my own growth.

Change is inevitable. It’s a part of life. You can either get with it or get lost. Whether it’s reorganization at work or your kid’s dance studio released a new schedule, its natural to feel some discomfort when change happens because routines are safe and predictable. Every morning, you have to get your cup of coffee before anyone speaks to you. God forbid that machine breaks and you have to take a trip to Starbuck’s to satisfy your caffeine addiction. That throws your whole morning off!

Eventually, I learned change is necessary and an important part of growth. But let’s take a moment to look at ourselves. What happens when we abandon everything we thought we knew in pursuit of something different, something less familiar? When was the last time you wore your hair different or took a new route to work? When was the last time you enjoyed a meal alone or made a new acquaintance? You say you want to grow but how?

How, Sway?

So check let’s say you read a few books. Cool story but did you share it with anyone? Were you able to engage in dialogue with someone about what you learned? If you have been doing the same thing for as long as you can recall, what’s the point in that?

I think of working out. If you continue to do the same routine, you plateau. Your body will no longer respond to the exercises that it has grown accustomed to because it’s no longer effective. The same thing goes for everything else if your life. How are you growing if nothing has changed? You are still associated with the same group of people. You still go to the same places. Where’s the growth happening?

When you adopt new beliefs and values, you will start to see life differently. You will start to see people differently. You won’t want to do the things you’ve always done because you’re different. I think about some of the things I did five years ago that I stopped doing because I grew up. I challenge you to acknowledge how you’ve changed. Be honest with yourself. If you haven’t really grown as much as you’ve thought, it’s not too late to start. Start right where you are.

And don’t be afraid to leave people behind. You can love people from a distance. It’s still love but all your friends can’t go where you’re going and all of your friends won’t grow like you’re growing. Most of the time, you will grow apart and that’s fine. God has new people waiting for you in the next stage of your life. You have to get there so you can meet them, though.

You gotta grow so you can glow.

2 Corinthians 3:13-18 talks about how when God blessed Moses he was glowing. He hid his face, however, because he did not want the people of Israel to see and be startled. You have no reason to hide your glow. God has blessed you so that He can receive the glory! Don’t hide it from anyone or stunt your growth by keeping people around who should be long gone.

You know how the saying goes: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Do something different. Make it a point to initiate changes in your life. Every week. Every month. Every year. Every five years. Do what works for you but make sure you aren’t being stagnant.

As always, take what you need and leave the rest.

Head over to the store and check out Go, Girl!: A Guided Self-Discovery Workbook to Help You Dig Through Your Stuff and Live Your Best Life. I hope it blesses you as much as it blessed me to write it!