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The Growth of Spring
4 min
It's easy to not notice how far you've come when you feel as if you are emotionally climbing a mountain. Take a deep breath and turn around - the view is worth the hike.
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It's easy to not notice how far you've come when you feel as if you are emotionally climbing a mountain. Take a deep breath and turn around - the view is worth the hike.
You can’t always see when you’re getting better. You also can’t always see when you're getting worse until you’ve reached a certain low point. It’s odd to look back at old texts, photos, and videos, and not recognize the person you once were. For better or worse, those memories are just a snapshot into who you used to be and they become just that - a memory.
“It’s interesting how we carry the exoskeletons of our past selves even though they don't fit anymore.”
The past and future exist in theory but the only true tangible thing we have is this moment right now. We allow these thoughts, preconceived notions, and ideas of “who we are” from the past carry through to the future. We reserve a seat in the future for the person we are now, disregarding the days, weeks, and months we have yet to live that allow us to get to that seat in the first place. It’s interesting how we carry the exoskeletons of our past selves even though they don’t fit anymore. Anyone from the outside can see we’ve outgrown our old selves, but our minds just won’t let go of the dead weight.
“…we are so focused on using our past to fortune tell our future, that we have blinded ourselves to the exact spot we are standing in and what it took to get there.”
We are always growing and morphing into a newer version of ourselves. Why is it that we set future expectations on our past selves? A version of us that we will look back on and barely recognize? It makes us feel like we’re failures, that we are not “where we thought we would be” at this point in our life. The interesting aspect of this is how we are so focused on using our past to fortune tell our future, that we have blinded ourselves to the exact spot we are standing in and what it took to get there.
“You have the power to change your life if you want to. You can choose to become a different person tomorrow.”
Take a look around at how far you’ve come. There must be at least one thing in your life you couldn’t have predicted would have happened for the better - a new pet, job, friend, book, lifestyle, or hair color perhaps? This is a representation of the life you’re living, the person you’re becoming, and the progress you have made. If you feel that you are not in a good place, or you aren’t happy with your life there are a few things that you should keep in mind:
1. You have the power to change your life if you want to. You can choose to become a different person tomorrow. You do not have to keep living your life this way. This is your life, and it is yours only. You have more power than you think.
“…you can only experience a certain level of happiness when you experience a certain level of sadness. You learn how much things can hurt and how beautiful life can be.”
2. Remember when you were a child and learned how to read? You could only comprehend a certain level of literature because that was all you were taught. As you grew older and broadened your vocabulary, you eventually went on to read more advanced material. This allowed you to read fantastical stories, learn about history, and expand your mind. Similarly, you can only experience a certain level of happiness when you experience a certain level of sadness. You learn how much things can hurt and how beautiful life can be. If you never felt that lowest low, you wouldn’t have the capacity to feel the level of joy that you do (or will). This is not to say that you ever deserve painful experiences because you NEVER DO. This is more about perspective change.
“Maybe it takes looking back and reflecting on the person you were trying to grow from, and who you are now.”
3. You know that feeling when you are hiking or walking a long distance? You keep taking steps forward yet you feel like you’re barely moving. Suddenly you turn around, and you're at the top of the mountain taking in how far you’ve come. You thought the journey was never going to come to an end but finally, it did. And you made it. Maybe it takes looking back and reflecting on the person you were trying to grow from, and who you are now. See how far you’ve come and praise yourself. Give your past self a hug because you know that you can make it forward. You are living proof of that.
It's easy to not notice how far you've come when you feel as if you are emotionally climbing a mountain. Take a deep breath and turn around - the view is worth the hike.
You can’t always see when you’re getting better. You also can’t always see when you're getting worse until you’ve reached a certain low point. It’s odd to look back at old texts, photos, and videos, and not recognize the person you once were. For better or worse, those memories are just a snapshot into who you used to be and they become just that - a memory.
“It’s interesting how we carry the exoskeletons of our past selves even though they don't fit anymore.”
The past and future exist in theory but the only true tangible thing we have is this moment right now. We allow these thoughts, preconceived notions, and ideas of “who we are” from the past carry through to the future. We reserve a seat in the future for the person we are now, disregarding the days, weeks, and months we have yet to live that allow us to get to that seat in the first place. It’s interesting how we carry the exoskeletons of our past selves even though they don’t fit anymore. Anyone from the outside can see we’ve outgrown our old selves, but our minds just won’t let go of the dead weight.
“…we are so focused on using our past to fortune tell our future, that we have blinded ourselves to the exact spot we are standing in and what it took to get there.”
We are always growing and morphing into a newer version of ourselves. Why is it that we set future expectations on our past selves? A version of us that we will look back on and barely recognize? It makes us feel like we’re failures, that we are not “where we thought we would be” at this point in our life. The interesting aspect of this is how we are so focused on using our past to fortune tell our future, that we have blinded ourselves to the exact spot we are standing in and what it took to get there.
“You have the power to change your life if you want to. You can choose to become a different person tomorrow.”
Take a look around at how far you’ve come. There must be at least one thing in your life you couldn’t have predicted would have happened for the better - a new pet, job, friend, book, lifestyle, or hair color perhaps? This is a representation of the life you’re living, the person you’re becoming, and the progress you have made. If you feel that you are not in a good place, or you aren’t happy with your life there are a few things that you should keep in mind:
1. You have the power to change your life if you want to. You can choose to become a different person tomorrow. You do not have to keep living your life this way. This is your life, and it is yours only. You have more power than you think.
“…you can only experience a certain level of happiness when you experience a certain level of sadness. You learn how much things can hurt and how beautiful life can be.”
2. Remember when you were a child and learned how to read? You could only comprehend a certain level of literature because that was all you were taught. As you grew older and broadened your vocabulary, you eventually went on to read more advanced material. This allowed you to read fantastical stories, learn about history, and expand your mind. Similarly, you can only experience a certain level of happiness when you experience a certain level of sadness. You learn how much things can hurt and how beautiful life can be. If you never felt that lowest low, you wouldn’t have the capacity to feel the level of joy that you do (or will). This is not to say that you ever deserve painful experiences because you NEVER DO. This is more about perspective change.
“Maybe it takes looking back and reflecting on the person you were trying to grow from, and who you are now.”
3. You know that feeling when you are hiking or walking a long distance? You keep taking steps forward yet you feel like you’re barely moving. Suddenly you turn around, and you're at the top of the mountain taking in how far you’ve come. You thought the journey was never going to come to an end but finally, it did. And you made it. Maybe it takes looking back and reflecting on the person you were trying to grow from, and who you are now. See how far you’ve come and praise yourself. Give your past self a hug because you know that you can make it forward. You are living proof of that.
