Our purpose for the time that we spend on earth is to fulfill our soul’s growth. We each have lessons to learn, and a contribution to make. That contribution is the expansion and unfolding of our gift, and our continuous spiritual growth. The more we grow and develop, the better equipped we become to deal with the challenges that life throws our way. The more we grow, the bigger the challenges that we meet.
You may think that this doesn’t sound very appealing. After all, who wants bigger and bigger challenges, isn’t that a little scary? Don’t we just want life to be nice and easy and problem free? Well let me explain something. Life is a bit like the set of “Who wants to be a Millionaire?”. When you’re starting out in the game, you’re going to get the easy questions. The questions that there is a good chance you will be able to answer easily and confidently on your own, without needing to use up any lifelines. These are the sorts of questions you will get when you’re playing for $100 – $200. Not exactly life-changing amounts of money, really.
In life, if you’re sitting back in your chair with your legs crossed and not even raising a sweat, only drawing from resources that are habitual and familiar to you, expect to receive about as little back as you are putting in. If, on the other hand, you are regularly stretching yourself to find new ways to deal with challenges, expanding your awareness to think outside the square, and embracing all that is uncertain and unfamiliar, you will be similarly rewarded. You will be attracting not just the fruit from the lowest branches, but even sweeter and brighter fruit from the higher branches. The types of rewards that you perhaps never thought were available to you, simply because you had only ever thought about or reached for the lower branches.
Do you want to be playing for $100 or a million dollars? Life seems easiest when the challenges are small. But if your choice is between small challenges and big rewards – which approach is really going to make your life easier? Remember that if you choose to play big, the obstacles along your way will give you the strength you need to handle your new challenges.
You are either green and growing, or ripe and rotting. Everything in the universe must grow and contribute beyond itself, or it is eliminated. If you plant a tree in a pot, it will eventually outgrow the pot and require a bigger one, otherwise its growth will be stunted and restricted.
Is your own environment supporting and promoting your personal development and growth?
As we grow, we outgrow our surroundings. You will know when this happens because the things that once made you comfortable will start to restrict you and feel uncomfortable. Where can you renew your surroundings in order for you to thrive? Let’s take a look at some examples…
- Your work - Whatever takes up most of your time should be conducive to your personal development and growth. If your job is no longer a challenge to you, it might be time to move on.
- Clothing - Are you still wearing the same clothes you wore ten years ago? If your clothes don’t seem to make you look as good now as they did then, it might be time to renew your style.
- Music - Have you been listening to the same playlist for far too long? I know I have a habit of “ruining” my favourite songs by playing them too many times. If the songs you always listen to don’t give you the same feeling of inspiration, or renewed sense of energy they once did, find some new music that is a match for the new you.
- People - Are the people who surround you supportive and encouraging of your personal growth? If the people in your close circle are negative, judgemental or controlling, find yourself a tribe of positive uplifting people, who won’t drain your energy by bringing you down. Studies show that we start to ‘become’ the people we associate with, so steer clear of the “Aint it awful?” club, or “Can’t be done” people who complain a lot. Look for people who like to discuss ideas and possibilities.
Play small and stay small, or play big and grow stronger. Growth is part of the nature of life, and you must keep up with it. Life will be but a struggle if you do not set in place the conditions that will support your growth. Playing for $100.00 might seem easy, but if you don’t move on to the next level, life will outgrow you, and that will not be easy. Change is the essence of life. You can only cling to the rock for so long before you’ll get washed away. So if you forget about what is easy and want to play at a level that is going to be fun, get ready to ride the waves.
