Growing Pains⎯Tending the Garden

Every step in the right direction has growing pains⎯but you need to do it anyway!

My friend June was recently telling me how difficult it was for her to move forward in the new life she had created for herself. June finds she is falling into the same pitfalls of living she was trying to leave behind. On the other hand, June also finds herself frozen at times and is not sure how else to move forward. She knows what she should do, she just doesn’t know HOW. It then becomes easy for her to fall back to what she knows⎯it’s safe.

• Safe makes you feel secure
• Safe feels harmless
• Safe gives you shelter
• Safe keeps you insulated
• Safe is a place many of us want to live because it requires little effort on our part
• Safe is a place many of us cannot move away from because we are stuck!

I told June what she was feeling was normal. She has taken the steps in the right direction but she is now feeling the growing pains⎯you know, the stresses and strains of development. Just what are growing pains in this circumstance?

• Evolution⎯gradual development of wisdom
• Maturation⎯the process of growth
• Expansion⎯ to a new and better self
• Progress⎯forward movement, momentum
• Improvement⎯making life better

Growth takes time⎯like when you plant seeds in a garden. You don’t plant seeds without taking care of them properly, otherwise they will not grow. One must tend the garden.  Water the seeds and once  they have started to grow, focus on the roots by continuing to water and gently feed them. This will allow the roots to develop into a healthy base in order to support the life of the plant. It doesn’t stop there. You must continue to nurture the plant in order to sustain continued growth.

We all feel growing pains from time to time whether initiated by ourselves or the circumstances of our lives. Yes there may be setbacks, but you weed out what is not working and plant seeds anyway. YOU KNOW HOW⎯one small step at a time. I am proud of anyone, like June, who chooses to make a move in the right direction, for continued growth provides more healthy roots and buds of pure joy, which will eventually open into blooms of love and happiness.

Step outside yourself and grow, grow, grow! You can do it, I know you can.

Photo courtesy of AmandaLouise
© Copyright 2011 Michelle Clark