Growing pains are a part of life. They start when we’re young and we never really outgrow them. Yes we do stop physically growing, however we never truly stop growing as a whole. Even as adults we are constantly growing and changing.
As we face challenges and overcome triumphs we’ve grown or changed in one way or another. Everything in life is a chance to grow and sometimes that growth is simply personal growth. But sometimes that growth can be painful.
Changes in Life Bring Growth
Our lives are constantly changing as we age. From Jobs to marriage, having kids, moving, and losing a loved one. Or an unexpected medical diagnosis or accident. And so many other life changes. No matter what life throws at you it’s always an opportunity to grow and gain in personal development. Every change in life means you have to find a new way to adjust. And sometimes that simply feels like growing pains. Sometimes you are prepared for what’s coming and sometimes you’re not.
All these different changes in life can sometimes be painful to go (grow) through in the beginning. It can be physically painful or mentally/emotionally painful. When you get a new job it can be stressful learning how to do your job the way the boss expects you to. And it can be even more stressful/painful if you make a few mistakes in that time. All while possibly adjusting home life to fit the new job.
When you first get married and/or start having kids you’re both going to make mistakes as you learn how to navigate a new life together and what your role in the family unit is. This can bring a lot of Joy, Learning, Stress, and Growth together navigating going forward.
Life Lessons Can also be Growing Pains
No matter what comes your way chances are you’re going to make some mistakes along the way. Don’t beat yourself over those mistakes because one way or the other it has taught you something. Which ultimately leads to your growth and development. A lot of my greatest successes in life are where I made the most mistakes in the beginning.
For example; starting this very blog that you are reading. It took me a long time to get the steps and process down and I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning that I had to correct in order to make it a success. At first, I did beat myself up a little bit over those mistakes. But when I took a step back to look at the bigger picture I realized that if I hadn’t made those mistakes I wouldn’t have gained a better understanding of the system, the process, and how to make it right.
I like to look at it like this…… whenever you start going to the gym or start a new work-out routine, that 1st week is painful! But as the days and weeks go on, it gets less painful and easier. Because your muscles and body are getting stronger. And before you know it, it’s just what you do and it doesn’t bother you anymore. Our personal growth works the same way in a sense. When you do something new, it can be hard/painful in the beginning, but then after some time it’s just what you do!
My Personal Growing Pains
After my first Daughter was born I was diagnosed with Panic Disorder. I literally went from an outgoing and social person to someone who couldn’t stand to be in public or around a lot of people. All I could think about was how to get back to the person I was so I can be a better wife and mom. But I didn’t have a clue how to get back there. So I started therapy, which at times was flat out painful!
I had to learn to accept that I wasn’t the same person I was and that I would never be the same. Which was a hard pill to swallow. I had to learn new tricks and tools to move forward and be able to function on a day to day basis. On top of that, I was learning to be a new mom, which had a whole new set of challenges all by itself.
My journey from then on had a lot of challenges and life lessons. There were days when I thought I was just stuck and never going to be better than I was at that moment. But I didn’t give up, I wanted to be better and do better so I had to keep pressing on. Through the help of my therapists, an amazing support system, a ton of prayer, and a better diet and supplements; I can honestly say that I’m doing so much better than I ever thought I could.
The Drive to Push Forward Comes with Unlimited Rewards
I shudder to think where I would be today if I hadn’t been willing to go through those trials throughout my life. At times it was so hard and painful that I almost quit, but then I wouldn’t have had the experiences and success I have now. Don’t get me wrong…. I’m still growing and working on my personal development. There are still a lot of things I want to achieve in life. Both personally and through my business. I want to keep getting better and doing better.
I highly encourage you to keep moving forward and push past those growing pains of life. That’s the only way we learn, grow, and achieve our goals in life. After all, if it was easy it really wouldn’t be worth the reward. And there are some things you can do to help along the way. Reading Self Help and personal development Books is a great start. Or listening to Podcasts and audiobooks. Anything that’s positive and inspiring you to grow. You can find a lot of self-help and personal development videos on YouTube. (Personally, I find Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, and Les Brown very inspiring and motivating!)