Stay Motivated, Keep Going

In life there are many ups and downs. Some people liken it to a series of hills and valleys. If you do, think of it like this.

When you're at the top of one hill, things can seem heady and exciting, and you can feel invigorated, cheering the world.

When you're are at the bottom of the hill though, the climb to get to the top of the next hill can seem daunting. Your legs can begin to hurt before you take the first step.

You can turn your backs to the future and look back to the hills of your past and grieve for that which is behind you.

You may think, "Oh, if only I could go back to sit on the top of that hill. It was so great when I was there, it would be so great!"

And sometimes, you might even try to walk back to the hill of the past, but you will find that it is like walking on a treadmill where you are constantly moving but making no progress, and that's because we are not meant to live backwards.

We are meant to face the hills of our future and climb.

Some people think of life as a series of tunnels. If you do, then tunnels, sometimes, when you're in the midst of one tunnel and it becomes especially dark, and you can hardly see the pinpricks of light on either end, in that period of darkness, you can grow tired, your feet may become sluggish, your eyelids may fall, and it can get to be difficult to see the light at the end.

Rather than lie down in the darkness and give in to depression, I urge you to strive to reach for the light.

We need light to flow through our bodies, to give us the energy and sustenance we need to grow, and so when we find ourselves in a dark passage in our lives, reaching for the light should be second nature. It is key.

If you think of life in trading terms, then to use a common quote in my country, you win some, you lose some or every day isn't going to be Sunday. In other words, there are ups and downs; good days and bad days; days when the sun shines, days when the skies are cloudy and it rains, even thunderstorm days.

When everything is falling around you like hail, you can hold your head in alarm and think the end is near. But giving in to alarm is not going to help you, my friend. And you can't ever achieve your potential by giving in to depression.

Of course, it's human to feel tired, and it's quite okay to rest a bit sometimes, that's fine. Only, do not give up on your growth journey.

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And so, friends, I've been reviving my Instagram account from which I have shared a bit of poetry. This is a piece I shared in 2020, during the pandemic, when things were particularly dreary and daunting and I think it's an apt addition to this post about growth.

I Am Becoming

Are You A Mathematician?

Do you divide your life into fractions?

Do you think of defining events as dividing lines so that you live in periods like before or after this or that happened?

I did.

It was my coping mechanism.

But then I got to thinking... and I want you to work with me on this...

Maybe we spend too much energy on dividing and not enough on connecting.

I can explain.

Maybe some of us haven't yet stepped into our afters, maybe we're still sailing in our during... I know I am

I have not yet evolved into who I am meant to become, I am still becoming.

Are you with me?

Recently, depressed as hell, I argued with the Creator, wishing evolution could be faster

But he showed me that a caterpillar doesn't become a butterfly because it wants to be.

Growth is a process.

So maybe, this is where we are... growing.

I am still messed up, still flawed.

I don't have it all together.

But I do know that this is not who I was meant to be, I am meant to be better.

Maybe you can relate.

And so, as I find myself, as I peel back layer after layer of my pupa

To discover that I have wings,

I can see that they're still wet.

And I get that I can't fly yet.

But I know that when they dry, I'll soar.

In the meantime, one thing is for sure-

I'm not who I was... I am becoming.

Maybe you are too.

Final Thoughts

Think of a plant. When a seed is planted, it is buried beneath the ground and watered.

If the seed does not grow, if it simply lies in the soil, then it is dead. It will eventually disintegrate and become soil. But if there is growth, the seed will be split open, and the concept of being split open can seem painful, right? The seed must be split open for the roots and for the shoot or the stem to grow. Even moreso, from beneath the ground, the stem must now break through the Earth's surface and reach for the sunlight.

And so, during dark stages in your life, maybe you can have the mindset that I am not buried, I am planted, and I will grow past this stage. And then you can get up and do something about the stage of life you are in.

Have an awesome day, friends. I'm about to begin the school run on my end, and then wipe the dust off the portfolio of a business plan I've been mulling over.

Take care of yourselves, show a little love to others, reach for the sunshine and grow. You've got this!