Sometimes the Personal Growth Journey Really Sucks
The other day I was sitting in my morning meditation and I felt called to choose one of Mark Nepo’s Book of Awakening cards. (These were a special gift from one of my clients a few years ago.)
I have never seen this specific card before and it blew my mind based on some of the things I have been experiencing on my personal growth journey recently.
The Risk to Bloom:
It has always amazed and humbled me how the risk to bloom can seem so insurmountable beforehand and so inevitably freeing once the threshold of suffering is crossed.
I sat there in awe of this blatantly truthful statement. Sometimes I feel like I am on a seesaw, tipping back and forth between my past self and my future self. It can be a struggle to feel pulled in both directions and trying to make choices daily that move me forward or hold me back.
If you are on a personal growth journey, you will probably understand when I say that sometimes it really f****** sucks.
It can be scary and hard as you begin to bloom and find yourself and your purpose.
You may put a lot of pressure on yourself and get frustrated when it takes longer than you want.
You may experience heartache while you release your old patterns and relationships that no longer serve you.
We may want to change everything overnight but we forget that it all takes time.
Whether you want to get healthier, find your purposeful career, meet your soul-mate, or become more spiritual, you may experience life lessons that can be heart-breaking and sometimes feel like it would just be easier to give up and stay the same…
If you are a sensitive healer (like me), you understand it can feel even harder because we are here to help others but we must help ourselves first.
As I have shared before, one of my favorite quotes by Anais Nin is:
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
Sometimes we need to continue to struggle until we hit a point where we just can’t take it anymore.
But, we don’t just wake up one day and have it all figured out! There are steps that need to be taken so that it is easier to have lasting change rather than being slingshotted backwards.
Here are 4 simple steps to staying
on track with your personal growth journey:
1. Quiet Time
Whether you meditate or not, finding quiet time away from distractions will help you to tap into your own heart and intuition. Put your phone or work away and take a step outside and take a few breaths at least once during your day. It will be easier to make decisions when you have a chance to check-in with yourself. These are the moments you can learn a lot about yourself.
2. Find Cheerleaders
You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with.
Are they negative? Do they complain and have drama?
Try finding people who you trust and can open up to about your big dreams and emotions. It will be difficult to leave some relationships in the past but you will be better off when you are surrounded by people who uplift you rather than bring you down to roll in the mud with them day after day. You can always start with a coach if you are needing someone to guide and direct you on your journey. See below ;-)
3. Clear Clutter
When you are trying to focus on growth and learning, having clutter that causes extra stress in your daily life will not make it any easier. Start with one area and give yourself 10 minutes to work on clearing it every day. You can start with your desk, spice cabinet, car or closet. You may be surprised how much easier it gets to find clarity in your mind and life when you have less clutter around you. You can also pay attention to any clutter in your head. Are there certain thoughts you are repeating over and over that you are ready to release? Pay attention to your thoughts today and maybe journal about what you notice is playing on repeat.
4. Trust the Process/Let Go of Anxiety
We tend to rely on to-do lists and calendars telling us where and who to be everyday. I have learned that when I let go of having everything planned and I choose to trust and go with the flow, that is when I feel my best. As a naturally anxious person, I have had to practice patience because I want everything planned out and completed yesterday. But life is full of surprises and we literally can’t plan everything because we don’t have control over it all. The beauty usually happens when we surrender, go with the flow and trust the process.
These tips have allowed me to be more creative and come up with ideas that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. I mean, I wrote this after my morning meditation when I had other shit I was “supposed” to be doing. My intuition told me this was important to share and it just flowed out.
This has helped me to keep moving forward even when I wanted to give up. (Yes, it has happened more than once) In some ways it seemed easier to stay stuck/unbloomed but then I realized that didn’t feel fulfilling nor joyful and I jumped right back on the journey of growth and purpose.
Remember, you are not alone on your personal growth journey. Even though there are many people who don’t want to live life at a higher vibration, there are millions who do.
One of the biggest mistakes is trying to do it all by yourself.
If you know you are meant for something different and need guidance on how and where to start, let’s chat. My purpose is to give women hope to embrace their anxiety and find peace and purpose within. This way you can lead a healthier and happier life. It all starts with you.
Would you prefer a world with more happy and healthy women or one filled with negativity, regret, anxiety and despair?
Schedule your complimentary Heartache to Hope Session here!
Love,
Shayna
