Perpetual
This word has become a motto for me. Life does not stop for anyone. It can be incredibly joyful or incredibly agonising but life does not stop. Life is perpetual.
As I’ve grown I have been in many moments where I’ve wished that life would simply stop, relax, slow down, Chill out! But it never does. It is always demanding something more from me. Life is perpetual and it demands growth.
Growth is uncomfortable. Growth is also the one constant that we can either embrace or run away from. We can either see the beauty within the discomfort of pain or we can retreat into ourselves and hope that the demand of growth in ourselves just leaves us alone. I’m telling you that it will never happen. The universe is continually expanding - growing - and you are a part of that growth whether you want to experience it or not. If you do not want to experience it you will live an unfulfilled life of selfishness and fear. If you will choose to accept this reality and embrace the discomfort of growth you will experience the fullness of life. Life is perpetual and it demands growth.
I’ve been experiencing these growing pains more then ever lately as I have allowed myself to embrace growth. I’ve been challenged in my most core beliefs about who I am, what I believe and where it is that I find purpose. These have been very uncomfortable questions to have to ask myself but they have been more and more rewarding to dive into as I have brought others into the journey with me. When you accept the demands of growth in your life you are inevitably required to accept the care, concern, wisdom and guidance of others because without that relational support you will most certainly suffer more heavily and your possibilities of failure will become much greater. Growth is a relational activity. When growth is accepted within a group of people the rate of growth within an individual is put on steroids because you have a support system to talk with, go through the pain with, brainstorm with and succeed or fail with. Life is perpetual and it demands growth, but it also demands community.
Community is what will bring you great joy. It is rewarding to grow and succeed but it is much more joyful to see others grow and succeed alongside you. It is incredibly joyful to be celebrated by others and to celebrate for others. There is also joy in failure as your community supports and uplifts you during times of pain and disappointment. You have accepted a life of growth and success, but have you opened up that journey to those around you that are wanting that as well so that you may experience the fullness of joy that comes from a community? Life is perpetual, it demands growth and it demands community.
I’ve spent much of my life aiming to “do well.” Get good grades, do the right things, respect everyone - to be a good person. The heart of that mentality is one of pursuing the bare minimum. At most it is simply people pleasing. There is no life, growth or real community in the act of people pleasing because you are simply being the person that you think everyone else wants you to be. You are not being your unique self and you are not offering any inspiration to others. I have realised this and I have chosen to live that way no longer. Instead I am going to accept the realities of life, growth and community and I am going to embrace them. I am seeking to be a person who embodies growth and as a result inspire those around me to grow as well. To pursue their passions and build community. I want the best for myself and those around me because it makes no sense to simply pursue mediocrity. We are all made unique. We all have desires and passions to share in community that will inspire others. So that is what I am going to do.
If this understanding of life excites you and inspires you then I would encourage you to reach out to me. I want to sit and talk with you. Dream with you. Challenge and be challenged by you. Let’s encourage one another to be our best. Let’s embrace life’s demand for growth and lets do it together in community.
Recognize the many blessings around you today.
You can reach out to me at:
Find me on Facebook:
Comments
Post a Comment