by Elva Patterson Rutters RSSW
Spring is seen as the time of new growth. We easily envision the green grass, trees leafing out, new livestock (especially lambs), and the earliest of flowers like crocus, tulip, and forsythia. However, do we take stock of our self- growth? If we stop learning, life becomes monotonous, repetitive, and stale. How do we continue to grow, outside of height and girth? Covid took the brunt of excuses for physical changes! What prevents us from more self-discovery? Why is it so scary to change?
Unfortunately, trauma, abuse, manipulation, coersion/control, and disparaging words curtail our desire to be vulnerable. Those actions hurt deeply, but are more reflective of the perpetrator’s inadequacies than our own self-worth. Being vulnerable is a scary process for most folks. Sometimes people, in their automatic protectiveness of family and friends, make rash erroneous decisions while not examining the entire picture. Many then have a fear of saying, “I’m sorry’, causing the recipient to withdraw. Change is simply difficult for most people. As a child, we learn stability means safety. Those with an adventurist spirit embrace change more easily.
The ability to step out of our comfort zone to embrace new ideology, perceptions, technology, procedures, and traditions develops our self- growth. That growth enriches our lives, regardless of age. Adaptation to those changes requires faith, perseverance, practice, and time. We are encouraged to be engaged in self-exploration whenever, wherever, and however (legally) that opportunity presents itself. Professionally, there are workshops, courses, mandates and obligations to continue career self growth, but too many times we neglect the awareness of our personal self-growth. Bear in mind, those opportunities may have financial, legal, social and spiritual limitations.
Trust your gut and go for it. You got this!
