Growth Isn’t A Bed Of Roses, But It’s Rewarding
- Mar 22, 2023
- 4 min read
Written by: Hanlie Robbertse, Guest Writer
Have you ever planted something in the soil and eagerly watched it, waiting and hoping it would grow? It’s fun to watch plants grow and bloom. We give our plants regular water and food to ensure we have healthy, flowering plants. There’s a sense of satisfaction when the day arrives and a plant produces some “harvest”. Nurturing and caring helped the plant to achieve that state, and we feel a sense of accomplishment when witnessing the reward in the “harvest”.
We humans also go through growth stages like plants, and while plants’ growth is more linear, ours jump between stages, making it uncomfortable and even painful. The rewards, however, are worth it and will bring far greater rewards than not growing at all. Using plants as our measure, let’s see how it applies to our lives.
Seeding
There are various reasons why we change our lives. Like a plant, we also get seeded at times; This can be during a transitional phase in our journey on earth. A transitional phase is when change happens, like getting married, divorced, or retiring. Change is never easy and is often tough on our emotions and mental health; This is why you need to go deep within yourself to “seed” a new version of yourself because change also implies grief and letting go. It is also a time when you will nurture and nourish yourself with lots of practices like meditation, journaling, forgiveness, etc., to make sure that when you sprout again, you are ready for a growth spurt.
Rooting
Before a plant can sprout, it will grow roots because, without roots, it will wither and die. We also need a solid foundation to hold us steady in adversity. A solid foundation is through finding and forming a supportive network of people with the same vision. They can be coaches and friends, but the most important thing is that you need to be able to trust them. Some of our roots are also in the nurturing and nourishing practices we established during seeding. Then there are the spiritual roots – it doesn’t matter your belief system. You can grow a seed if you have an anchor somewhere to feed your spirituality. When establish a routine of regular maintenance, and doing away with bad habits, can bring in a lot of uncomfortable feelings. Still, when you start to see the results, it will replace all the hardship with joy.
Sprouting
After being “dormant” in the ground for a while, the plant suddenly bursts through the soil, pushing its tendril stalk and early leaves out into the welcoming sun. It’s a minor miracle for the plant to have come so far, and the probability for it to reach “adulthood” increases with each centimeter it grows above the ground. When we sprout, we experience the same feeling. We’ve been hidden in the dank, dark recesses of our hearts to make space for a new version of ourselves, and when we are ready, we will push out and into the light. The world around us will feel lighter, and we will also feel less constrained. The sprouting stage often feels like we’re surfing through life without much effort and things holding us back.
Blooming
When the time is right, a plant will produce blooms in some form. It may be an ordinary flower, fruit, or vegetable, but it will give us something we can enjoy. Nothing is as beautiful as a blooming plant, and seeing it, is a wonderful and satisfying feeling. We also will reach a stage where we will bloom after we’ve gone through our period of growth. It may be something simple like feeling happy after an intense period of depression and healing, or it may be achieving success in our personal life, or seeing our dream business take flight. Whatever it is, when it comes, we will experience a sense of accomplishment and joy that is indescribable. To bloom is to feel whole and confident in ourselves and our beauty.
Growth is a constant cycle
Growth is a process of seeding, rooting, sprouting and blooming. Unlike plants, our growth isn’t linear, but we experience the same stages. Plants lose their blooms after the season is over. Some even lose their leaves. Some wither and die. We can also stop blooming, and in our growth, we can also go back in stages. But to reach our potential, we need to remember to nourish and nurture ourselves to ensure we receive the nutrients to grow. Here are a few tips for optimal growth:
Find and develop a daily routine that works for you. You don’t need to do precisely the same things as the top coaches do – do what works for you.
Read blogs, books and inspirational stories that align with you.
Listen to podcasts and videos of inspirational people that makes you come alive.
Journal your feelings and emotions.
Listen to soothing music that calms and relaxes you.
Be creative – color, dance, paint, take photos, doodle, play an instrument, write, do anything you like doing.
Connect to nature – go for a walk, a swim or a bike ride.
Have a friend or a mentor you can trust.
Get professional help if you feel you need it.
Go for massages, acupuncture, or sound healing – anything that helps you regulate your nervous system.
There are many more things you can do to help you on your journey of growth, and there will be days when you feel like raising a white flag, but on those days, it is okay to take time out and do nothing. The most important thing you can do for yourself when growing is to take care of yourself, and be compassionate and graceful when you fail. For more info follow me on Facebook for more info!
Hanlie Robbertse, Brainz Magazine Guest Writer
Hanlie Robbertse is an author, writer, intuitive, word alchemist and story teller that guides women to use writing to break free from anxiety, depression, guilt and shame, so they can live a life of confidence and hope. She has a desire to help change narratives around mental health and how healing words can be. You can find out more about her here.
