Five Ways to Grow and Flourish

 

Human life was intended to experience growth; we can learn from mistakes, from sorrow, from joy, from failure, from good times, from love. Growing means learning and digesting knowledge from every experience that life throws at us.

If we aren’t growing, we’re shrinking, drying up, going backwards.

Here are five ways you can grow and flourish.

1: Overcome Your Fears

The fear of loneliness will keep you lonely, just as the fear of failing will stop you from succeeding. Fear is extremely counterproductive; it gives you more of what you don’t want.

The only way to overcome fear, is to face it head-on. Only then will you have the opportunity to dispel it.

Find out what you’re really scared of, find out what fears are limiting your life in some way. When you know the answer to these questions, learn to accept that your fears are just exaggerated ideas in the mind. Ideas that can be changed.

Ultimately, our fears come from old thought patterns, which eventually become ingrained in our beliefs. However, they are not unalterable, beliefs can be changed through the use of affirmations, which are a powerful way to reverse negative beliefs and overcome fears.

2: Spend Time Alone

Self-growth works at its best when we have moments to ourselves when no one else is around. This helps us discover who we are and what we want, without any interruptions or influences.

Begin to value solitude; see it as a sacred practice that you participate in regularly. Begin to love spending time alone, begin to love who you are alone with. As the great Wayne Dyer said, “You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with.”

When you are alone, you can get to know yourself by asking questions, such as – “what is next for me?”, “am I happy with how things are?”, “do I need to make changes?”. These are questions that lead to answers, which can result in self-growth. 

3: Lift Yourself Up

While many of us are often quick to point out our own flaws, rarely do we focus on what we are doing well. Self-criticism is extremely limiting to one’s life. You cannot grow and flourish, if you are always being held back by negative thoughts about yourself.

Learn to be your biggest supporter. Learn to rely on yourself. There will be times in your life when you feel like no one is there for you, and it is during these moments that you need yourself most. Instead of instantly jumping into a victim role, learn to lift yourself up, and out, of negative situations.

If you can rely on yourself, like really rely on yourself to the point where you know that you are never alone because you have always got you, you needn’t worry about anything in life because you are always being taken care of.

4: Document Your Life

It is said that journaling is one of the most effective ways to build an intimate relationship with yourself and grow.

While our thoughts are usually rehearsed in the mind repeatedly, what we jot down on paper is quite often spontaneous and can reveal a great deal about ourselves. A journal can help us connect with our inner self and force us to discover our truths, while also resulting in a sense of relief .

You don’t have to be a writer or have perfect grammar to write a journal; only you will see it. Try writing a few sentences a day; don’t think about what you’re going to write, just allow your pen to glide through the paper effortlessly with no preparation. 

5: Forgive

Forgiveness is an essential component of self-growth; holding onto anger and upset related to something that has already happened, will keep you trapped in the past.

We are able to forgive when we accept something that has happened and allow ourselves to move past it. It might be a person, yourself, or even a situation that is waiting for your acceptance but until doing so, you will not be able to move forward.

Forgiveness of others, and of course ourselves, releases us from the haunt of the past; it is a gift we can give to ourselves. Here’s some more info on how you can choose to forgive and set yourself free.

Never Stop Trying To Grow

Life is for growing, evolving, and moving. Growing means living with purpose and being aware of the steps we are taking along the way. And if we are flexible, we will find that life guides us in the most incredible directions.

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