Designed To Grow

Something struck me as the liquid gold juice of my mango, dripped down my face.

There are two types of people who live in this world. Firstly, the ones that love the mango seed, not afraid of being covered in the sweet sticky juice as they extract every bit of flesh. Or the ones that don’t. Perhaps, they don’t like the mess, or the fact the fibers stick in your teeth or simply they don’t like mango.

Then, as only a mango can…. It got me thinking.

Every living thing is designed with seeds. Think about it. Plants have seeds. Animals have seeds. Human beings have seeds.

We are designed to grow.

From the moment of conception to our birth we are growing. As we race through our childhood, adolescence to adulthood there is a physical transformation of our bodies. Our minds are growing too. Like sponges soaking up every bit of knowledge, expanding exponentially, shaping our very thoughts and actions.

Then what happens?

We reach adulthood and things begin to change. The physical transformation we experienced as we stretched and grew into our bodies slows, our age now showing through our faces.

And our minds? What happens to the sponge soaking up all knowledge?

What happens when we enter the world of work? Do we grow at the same pace we enjoyed in our youth? The acceleration of our minds shaping every opportunity that lies before us?

What stops us from this rapid growth?

#Scared of failing

Perhaps after years of knock-backs, bruised, we learn to take smaller steps. We chose to aim just a little closer to where we are so each failure doesn’t hurt as much.

Failure is growths ultimate accelerator. Learning from our failures is the quickest path to success.

#Comfort zone

Perhaps we are comfortable where we are in our careers. We paid the price early on, climbing high, rising through the ranks but have arrived at the optimal equilibrium of comfort.

We clog the pipeline of potential for yourself and for others. Chances are, this stagnation is robbing you of the joy you once had in your work. 

#Stuck

Maybe you have all the want in the world to grow but the space you are in doesn’t allow it. You feel trapped by the decisions you have made which has gotten you to this very point. It’s too late to transition now, the risk is too high, you are too far down this path.

Find the courage to explore new paths. Seek opportunities outside your comfort zone, develop new skills, grow your talents in new ways.

We are designed to grow.

Then can I ask you a very personal question…. Are you growing to your full potential?

The beautiful thing is, it’s a brand-new year, brand new decade, you owe it to yourself. You owe it to your 5-year-old you, to be everything you were created to be.

I challenge you in this moment, in this time, to grow. For when you do, you begin to unlock the seeds of potential which are inside of you.

For me, it’s back to my mango.