Growth Brings About Death

I felt compelled to share this illustration because even though and when we show up—even once we grow up, even while we are leveling up this does not mean we do so perfectly without any hurt, struggle, and pain. Sometimes (assuredly) we show up while there’s still a deficit in another area of our lives. We absolutely cannot wait until everything is fixed up, cleared up, and looking up if we want to see change in our individual or collective lives. The paradox of our humanity is that these stages, phases and conditions of our existence co-exist. I believe that one of the reasons that people experience “imposter syndrome” (and I dislike the concept) is because they are being celebrated and perhaps elevated while they know that every area of their life does not line up with their perceived “success” or promotion. So they feel hypocritical. But I believe if we are not doing or striving to do things that are uncomfortable but growth adjacent—if we are not feeling stretched beyond where we are currently, then we aren’t experiencing the pull of growth and development. And just because some leaves on our vines and branches aren’t all green and lush, does not mean we don’t persist in growing anyway. And, I must add, growth requires, entails and evokes movement. Growth is not static, but it is adversely affected by laziness. 

     So, I have this philodendron vine on my mantle. When I pulled it from the pot it was in six months ago it was because it was dying rapidly. So, I removed it to ensure that it didn’t spread whatever was wrong with it throughout the soil and damage the rest of the plant. But to my surprise when I extracted it from the soil I found that the roots looked really healthy. So rather than discarding it, I placed it in a vase of water. My only regret is that I don’t have a before and after picture to share. And what I notice, is every couple months or so, there is one leaf—one, that grows in the same area of the vine, but it opens up and dies almost immediately. However, this is the vine that I almost threw out because it was dying in the soil where it was planted. But it took on an incredibly new life once I changed its source (aka environment). And even though there’s an occasional leaf that doesn’t reflect the same growth, vitality, and quality of life as the rest of the leaves doesn’t make the growth that is obviously happening any less real and authentic. In fact, what I know for sure, is that growth brings about death; especially of the old things that resist growing in or towards a new direction—a new source. This once dying philodendron that was barely holding on, is now growing up and across the wall, and mantle. 

     And while growth can be a mindset, it may not always be a preference; consequently, it becomes dwarfed. *that wasn’t intentional pun* And what I learned from this vine, is that it doesn’t stop “growing” from happening it’s just a matter of what’s growing and the quality thereof. 

“Growth is not static, but it is adversely affected by laziness.”

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