Growth

“Work hard at you job and you’ll make a living but work hard on yourself and you’ll make a fortune.”-Jim Rohn

What do you think of when you think of growth? Is it all external? Do you picture tall stature or large muscles? Maybe you think of bank statements and financials. Maybe it’s the big house or new car. Or maybe it’s generous things like giving away money. Maybe it’s career related, getting that job, promotion, or landing that big client. While all those things are good and necessary and indeed markers of growth, they are not the only markers and, I would argue, not the most important markers. Too often, we are concerned with growth as it appears, not growth as it counts; we are too busy comparing ourselves with everyone else on the outside while true growth is what happens on the inside. Again, all those external things are good and necessary-money, for example-is one of the best tools for alleviating suffering in our immediate circles. But growth, true growth is what happens inside; it’s growth not immediately seen by others. The other thing is, most of the external things are outside of your control. You can “have it all today” and lose it all tomorrow. Internal growth is only limited by the amount you are willing to work for it. Internal growth is something that the world and others can only take away from you if you allow it. External growth will carry you through a season, but internal growth will carry you through a lifetime. So, take a little stock. In what ways have you grown internally this year? You may have to think a little on this one, remember, it isn’t always apparent, but I’m almost certain, you’ve grown more than you think. After you’ve taken inventory, do a little planning. As we approach the second half of the year, how would you like to grow internally? Would you like to let go of anger or envy? Perhaps you’d like to foster more resilience or be more optimistic. Maybe you would do well to be a little more gracious with yourself. Whatever it is, remember, the limits of the growth are up to you and you can get started on as little as one percent per day. If you need some help with this area of internal growth, I’d highly recommend the books Cultivating unshakeable character, by Jim Rohn and One small step can change your life, by Dr. Bob Mauer. So go and grow. Both you and the world deserve the best version of yourself.