Different ways of growing
It’s a stormy Saturday morning in Miami, the sky is a beautiful dark grayish blue. My husband, who is still asleep, has the AC turned to 63 degrees. It feels like winter and I feel like writing.
As I look out the sliding glass doors, the passing storm sways the branches and palm fronds. I find myself in the perfect place, mentally and physically, I feel at peace.
I woke up thinking about a post I saw on LinkedIn some weeks ago, written by a female lawyer-entrepreneur, which talked about growth. She was criticizing someone who decided not to participate in a weekend seminar. The person who she was criticizing chose not to disrupt her leisure time with work.
I am 40 years old now, but I remember that when I was younger, in my 20’s and into my 30’s, there were no limits for me, no days or holidays that I wouldn’t sacrifice for work. My personal life was pretty much blended with my professional life. Back then, I would have agreed 100% with the fellow lawyer who made the LinkedIn post.
However, 6 years ago, everything changed. That’s when my daughter was born.
Having a child admittedly added a whole new meaning to life. Cherishing moments with her and my newly formed family became one of my priorities, or I should say my main priority. Back then I was working for a large Multinational corporation, running a sales team, while also struggling in building my own business on the side, but nothing was as important as my newly born child.
After her birth, my jobs didn’t inspire me like they used to. My perspective had changed, I realized that a child brings an opportunity to grow like nothing else in part because you now do things for them, in the purest most selfless ways. The universe gives you a chance to relive childhood through their always curious eyes.
We all know people will often repeat many of the patterns they learned in childhood, healthy or not, and end up passing them on to the next generation.
I realized like many parents do that my new job was to stop my own unhealthy pattern and beliefs and raise her into a much more psychologically healthier child than I was able to. I think parents all have this intention, but don’t always have the tools to take it to fruition.
Shortly after Sarah was born, I felt the urge to go back to therapy, and since then I haven’t stopped. I wish more parents renounced the stigma of therapy and open their minds to the idea that therapy is not just for them, but to break the unhealthy behavior we inadvertently teach our children. healthy parents raise healthier kids with a sense of self-worth and self-love.
So in the end “growth” is really so relative. Going back to that post: growth doesn’t only happen by going to a specific conference and seminar. Spending time with your family, with your loved ones, and taking hours off from “work” provides a tremendous opportunity to grow on many levels.
Be open to grow!
