A pencil, a yardstick and
some doorway or wall… sound familiar?
You may smile at the
reference of this ‘growth chart’ you had growing up, if there was some place in
your childhood home where your own growth spurts were measured.
This real life progress chart
kept track of how tall we were growing (or not growing) each school year. It was a measurement, a way to ‘monitor time,’
and it was an additional avenue to recognize the little victory’ benefit’ of
eating those vegetables as children we did not choose as a first priority to
eat.
Looking back, you may laugh
at this idea of creating a growth chart, much as you did with any chore chart
or grade chart filled with gold stars for all of your elementary school
accomplishments.
Today… unless it is in the
form of a review, a raise, a promotion, award of some sort or your – adults do
not receive the recognition of their growth as humans, as souls as beings on
earth.
Granted, a ‘hey, no cavities’
high-five from your dentist and a clean bill of health from your doctor, may
not feel like anything to sneeze at; but we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to the
fact seeing several lines beyond the big “E” on the eye exam chart should read,
“Recognize life’s little victories.” Haha... Sorry, couldn't resist the font joke.
We do not realize that for
every little victory or every major milestone, there is a moment to pause and be
appreciative of how far we have come, and overcome obstacles.
Saying, “Wow, look at how much I have grown,” sounds like a silly notion for
adults. However, recognition, validation,
and reinforcement are necessary for the human psyche.
Our brain development thrives
on growth, learning, development, and problem solving, encouraged further by our
own growth recognition and validation. An
active mind can help ward off mental decline, loss of concentration/focus, while
maintaining navigational agility and cerebral sharpness, memory recall and
increased perception and reasoning abilities.
From here, this growth
recognition fuel to the psyche can maintain or increase productivity, where we
feel more aware/alert, develop faster reflexes and response times while working
or driving or operating heavy machinery. The domino effect of having a ‘reinforced’
active mind continues to improve safety, emotional stability/security and so
much more.
With our physical bodies, we
can also benefit from psychological reinforcement and acknowledgment of our own
‘growth.’ Our bodies respond accordingly
in alignment with mental positivity producing the key endorphin
neurotransmitter chemicals that set off a ripple effect of signals from one
neuron to another.
Why is this important?
Our cell system (which
changes daily), can create positive changes when we utilize positive
affirmations, and acknowledgement. In
other words, positivity and growth recognition is like providing your mind and
body that ‘feel-good’ praise of noting the pencil mark on the wall or that gold
star on the chart. It is a propellant of stimulation necessary for mind-body
well-being.
Therefore, with that, I
wanted to write a blog that reminds you of ‘the little things’ we don’t often
take time to look at when it comes to growing, evolving and progressing in our
own being.
If you've overcome a HUGE LIFE CHALLENGE, major obstacle/hurdle through illness, disease, divorce, job loss, natural disaster/home loss, legal or financial crisis, and yes...death/loss of loved ones...I am certain you have long lists of your own to acknowledge your own recognition of growth. You need to recognize within yourself what these growth events are and acknowledge your daily progress of healing. This in itself is huge.
However, some of you may not have experienced any of the above, but you too - need to recognize your own growth in other ways. Here is a list to file away in your brain as a vitamin supplement for your psyche, body, and soul. I want you to remember that you can be proud of the following growth moments… these are your adult ‘pencil marks on the wall’ each time you…
If you've overcome a HUGE LIFE CHALLENGE, major obstacle/hurdle through illness, disease, divorce, job loss, natural disaster/home loss, legal or financial crisis, and yes...death/loss of loved ones...I am certain you have long lists of your own to acknowledge your own recognition of growth. You need to recognize within yourself what these growth events are and acknowledge your daily progress of healing. This in itself is huge.
However, some of you may not have experienced any of the above, but you too - need to recognize your own growth in other ways. Here is a list to file away in your brain as a vitamin supplement for your psyche, body, and soul. I want you to remember that you can be proud of the following growth moments… these are your adult ‘pencil marks on the wall’ each time you…
- · Catch yourself pausing to think before you speak
- · Muster up the courage to try something new
- · Choose to say something positive instead of something negative
- · Ask for help
- · Discover a bad habit of yours you want to correct
- · Admit you don’t know everything
- · Admit you still have a lot to learn and take the road to do so
- · Change your outlook to reflect optimism
- · Give unconditionally without expecting anything
- · Have the bravery to cry and be vulnerable
- · Don’t judge
- · Look at differences as something to celebrate
- · Find the common ground and common thread you share with everyone
- · Challenge yourself
- · Communicate your truth
- · Take time to trust your intuition
- · Laugh at yourself
- · Remember how important self-care is for your sanity and well-being
- · Offer to help however you can
- · Give from your heart
- · Sit in gratitude
- · Provide comfort in unsettling situations
- · Radiate joy
- · Choose to be kind to others, and also to yourself with positive words
While these daily human
behaviors should be ‘auto-pilot’ for everyone, you know from your daily
interactions in this world, that they are not embedded within the core in every
person.
If they are embedded within
you, and who you are, you need to validate this within yourself to stay in the
positive lane of being. There are many
kite string pullers who will attempt to pull you into a negative vacuum if you
give them permission to do it, so it is imperative to stay on the positive
pathway recognizing and reinforcing this recognition of being and yes, areas of
growth where you continue to improve and rise.
This list can grow longer the
more you begin to recognize things you need to acknowledge as positive items to
validate within your being… this was merely to get you started on your own
growth chart that you can do for yourself to improve your own mind-body health
and well-being.
Also, be sure to incorporate positive
mantras for the day, daily affirmations of positive thoughts and words. The more you do this, you’ll see that there
is not a ceiling high enough to continue making those little pencil marks on
the wall. But at the upward spiraling growth rate you’ll be growing… you won’t
need that chart or the pencil, you will have become it yourself.
Keep growing.
Namaste.
