Stimulating Self Growth and Avoiding Burnout
Though many of us walk different paths, isn’t self-growth what we all seek at the end of them? We are pursuing our dream lives, seeking to heal and lose the shame we carry about our weaknesses, seeking to feel good enough—or better yet, to feel great about ourselves. In our hearts, we want to develop into the best people we can be.
However, we have to acknowledge that in order to grow in the ways we truly need and desire, and in order to really make long-lasting shifts in our lives, it’s essential to purposefully stimulate self-growth.
We need to cultivate an inner source of motivation and wisdom to draw from when things get tough. If we don’t tend to our inner fire, we hit burnout when things get hard. This can stunt our sought-after path of growth instead of opening it up further.
We don’t grow just by thinking about it, reading about it, or listening to podcasts. We must consciously practice, just like with every other skill. If you want to get good at playing the guitar, it takes a long time of commitment, studying, and hands-on playing. We cannot give up if we hit a wrong note.
Similarly, if we want to get good at efficient communication, it takes self-observation, practice, and perseverance. Failure is a part of the learning process, and will only lead to greater self-awareness.
Some people have experienced life-changing events that made them hit rock bottom. Maybe they overcame cancer, maybe they made it to the other side of addiction, maybe they escaped an abusive relationship. And these hardships stimulated their self-growth. It ignited a burning flame deep within them that drove them to continue finding and cultivating their best selves.
Some people commit their whole lives to this path of self-growth: becoming monks, traveling, visiting every guru and shaman they find; seeking truth, growth, healing, and ultimately freedom. But how can we also open this same passion-filled path to self-expansion without needing to hit rock bottom? Without the extremes of traveling our whole lives and going on these intense ayahuasca journeys and guru retreats?
It may seem impossible, but there are plenty of new beginnings at our fingertips.
Humans are creatures of comfort to a fault. We don’t naturally evolve when we are always in the same lanes of life, coffee in hand, surrounded by the same people. We evolve when we are in situations of newness, discomfort, or curiosity. Thus, we have to be willing to put ourselves in uncomfortable situations in order to grow.
We all have this aversion to doing the things that take us away from the path we’re used to. However, when we consciously put ourselves into situations that are uncomfortable, we trigger growth. We are purposefully giving ourselves opportunities to try something new, to discover more about who we are and who we can become.
Here are some simple ways to step outside your comfort zone:
Pick an opposite.
If you usually pick a seat in the back of an auditorium, choose to sit in the front.
If you usually take the streets, take the freeway. If you usually take the freeway, take the streets.
If you’re the kind of person who receives food at a restaurant and doesn’t like it but doesn’t say anything, challenge yourself to send it back.
If you are usually silent about your discomfort, speak about it.
If you are usually vocal about your discomfort, challenge yourself to process it on your own.
Travel alone. This has been probably one of my biggest catalysts to self-growth, being in a new unknown place by myself, having to navigate new situations back-to-back while also having the freedom to be a new me in every moment. No one in a new place knows who you are, so in moments where you might have operated from a place of doubt due to others’ expectations, you can instead exist in this sublime space where you can shift and grow.
Be humble and receptive to feedback in times you would usually be defensive. It’s uncomfortable, right? But how might that space provide you what you need to change your actions and grow as a person?
Change your associations. Exit groups and friendships that suppress your potential. Instead, join communities where the culture is to grow, love, accept, and empower each other to live out our dreams day by day. The more you see your friends thriving, the more you'll be reminded that you can do it too.
Be accountable to yourself and to others. This is the most important. If you just do all of the above when you feel like it, without consistently holding yourself to your path, how can you expect to have big positive shifts soon? Keep a journal to take inventory and take responsibility for your successes and downfalls.
YOUR INVITATION: Join a community of accountability. Participate in the magic of a sisterhood where the culture is one of growth, empowerment, and humility. This is an uplifting community that aims to provide you with the support you need to help yourself grow: motivation, inspiration to draw from, and encouragement when you fall back.
I hope we're all feeling pumped about our lives, our potential, and our ability to reach for our best lives day by day. We are ready to do what it takes to achieve the inner fulfillment that we know is possible! The world is available to us.
If you are interested in joining a real, long-lasting sisterhood with women on a similar path, join in on our Wednesday Women’s Circles hosted at Sovereign Sister’s Society.
