A Series | Personal Reflections and Musings.

Every month I’m going to do a series of my personal reflections and musings. After all – this is a blog with musings in the title! As usual, grab a cuppa and get comfy. This time the topic is…

Introduction: The Journey of Life.

This thing called life. I’m sure we all know by now, life is tough. It always has been, and always will be – unfortunately. But, the important thing is how we deal with these things. Do we make lemonade out of the lemons, or throw the lemons back at life? I think we need to do a bit of both. Let me explain. Positivity is important – it’s one of the key ingredients in getting through life. I’ve learnt in my 33 years that mindset means everything – I can either wallow in the trial or get up stronger. Sometimes, it feels so much easier to just ignore everything and stay comfortable. However, if you get too comfortable – you’ll never experience true growth. It’s scary, but oh so worth it! All it takes is the determination to keep going. To have the growth mindset and to want to be better. It’s a long road but the work pays off.

Growth. The process of developing or maturing. We all have grown physically – maybe not so much for some of us, who are card holders of the vertically challenged club (of which I’m a member of!) We can also experience growth mentally and/or spiritually. What does this look like? Well, it’s different for everyone – we all go through different life experiences. For example, someone at twenty might have experienced something in their childhood, that someone in their fifties never experienced. And, vice versa. Just like we’re all different in looks, personality, habits, etc – we grow differently too. We also need to remember that growth isn’t linear. Sometimes, we may need to move backwards to advance forward. When we compare ourselves to others, we trick ourselves into thinking it’s linear. Life isn’t easy – but it’s so worth it. The work we put into bettering ourselves is as well. So, next time you’re going through a trial try to think positively – most likely, things will get better. This too shall pass.

“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.” – Dolly Parton

How I’ve Grown Personally:

Personal growth is a continuous and life long journey, often including growth spurts and periods of slower growth. One of the most important things is having a growth mindset – you have to want to grow. It’s the same thing as getting help. You have to help yourself first. Without that mindset, you’ll just stay stuck. And, it’s easy place to be – it’s less stressful and less work. Where are some areas you need some growth? Don’t be hard on yourself if you have a ton – there’s always today to start! Just start.

I’ve grown in a few ways since I’ve moved out of my dad’s house – long story, I first moved out when I was 25 – got my own beautiful apartment, and life happened. So, I moved back home. It taught me a lot about myself and others so I have no regrets! Onwards to how I’ve grown…

• I’m more independent.
• I’m a recovering people pleaser.
• I’m learning how to budget. (and still working on it!)
• I’m getting out of my comfort zone.
• I’m healing in many ways. (and it feels oh so good.)
• I’m more consistent with projects/hobbies.
• I’m less scared of bad things happening.
• I embrace the little things and good things that happen.
• I’ve learnt to trust God more and live in His will.
• I’ve finally settled into my season of singleness. (WOW.)
• I’ve learnt who my people are.
• I’m more discerning about people. (still working on this!)
  

Some of the things I did without even realizing, they just came naturally one after the other. Some of them took a lot more work, and some I’m still working on and will be working on for the rest of my life. And, that’s okay! Like I said, growth and development is a life long journey but it doesn’t have to be tedious – it can be fun! It is what you make it! And, it’ll get easier over time – trust me! You got this.

Personal Challenges and Practical Tips!

The challenges I’ve faced in the past year, and up till now include: my mental health escalating leading to a breakdown, a few deaths of family and friends, having to surrender my precious cat to the Humane Society, a fresh and devastating breakup, and some friendships that were lost. What was instrumental in overcoming these were my faith in God, a positive mindset that things were going to get better, and a whole lot of classes and programs that were beneficial to my mental health. I also worked a lot on myself towards personal growth through finding a support system that made me feel seen, loved and heard. All of this being said, things DO get better – don’t ever give up!

Here are some practical tips and strategies I’ve used to cultivate a growth mindset:

• Embrace failure and setbacks.
• Don’t fear failure! Seriously.
• Value your effort.
• Continue to learn.
• Develop persistence.
• Seek out constructive feedback.
• Celebrate your small wins.
• Celebrate the success of others!
• And, don’t give up – ever.

“Your journey never ends. Life has a way of changing things in incredible ways.” – Alexander Volkov

Conclusion: Throw ’em back!

In closing, I think we should throw the lemons right back at life. Have a positive mindset and say “NOPE!” when something negative comes up. Don’t allow yourself to dwell and overthink about it. Just keep your head above water. It’s when we rebuke our thoughts (and throw them back into the dumpster) that growth happens. If you’re having trouble and need help ask a trusted friend, sometimes someone to listen to and support you helps. Or if you need an accountability partner. Being held accountable goes a long way! If you’re unsure of where to start, just take a step and don’t focus on the whole staircase.

What’s your personal experiences with growth and how have you nurtured a positive mindset?