Life at Gray Gables: Personal Growth

By: Kel Amstutz
Keywords: Personal Growth, Your Life's Journey, Finding You, Growing, Development, Dreams, Purpose, Lost Gypsy Soul

Personal growth is a hard topic for me, personally. It always seems as if I take two huge steps towards growth...only to take five steps back into what I actually want and how my path will look. Of course, this is my struggle.

But, you know that you are here for BIG THINGS, right? I mean we all have a difference to make and a PURPOSE TO LIVE. If YOU are already doing this...right now, awesome! Keep on doing your thing.

If you are like me, and are not, maybe your unsure how to get started or maybe it's possible that you have missed the important journey that you need to take to get to where you want to be...

Whatever you want to call it- Personal Growth, Personal Development, Self-Actualization, Finding yourself ... this journey is about YOU exploring and developing WHO you truly are. It explores:

Identity
Talents
Potential
Dreams
Aspirations

This helps you develop who you are physically, mentally, spiritually, and intellectually.

And, it can look HOWEVER you want it to look- that is the whole PERSONAL part! Your journey might involve training, up-skilling, traveling; or maybe yoga, meditation, and spiritual healing.

But, the KEY to this whole process is to PUT YOURSELF into situations that will trigger that exploration and development.

TO GET STARTED, HERE ARE 14 GREAT WAYS TO STIMULATE YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH.

1. Know Yourself.

Having self knowledge is NOT just knowing your likes and dislikes. It is about knowing who you truly are as a person. Think about how you look at life. How you interact with others. What ignites that fire within you? What scares you? What truly gets your heart pumping? A person who sincerely knows who they are shines with confidence.

This kind of knowledge is learned by person reflection, a lot of alone time, and situations that push outside of your comfort zone. Those situations can be very different for everyone- maybe having lunch at a restaurant alone with only a pen and paper, no bodies or phones, or maybe taking a trip alone. You can learn a lot about yourself when you jump into unfamiliar environments, breaking from the comfort bubble that we all tend to create and surround ourselves within. And, when we break past the things we thought we were only capable of, we then start to feel like we can achieve greater things, boosting our confidence.

2. Surround Yourself with Beautiful People.

You all know that I am referring to INNER BEAUTY. People that make you see the world in a new way. People that do extraordinary things. People that exude the qualities that you love and would like to have rub off on you; think about kindness, compassion, bravery, drive. People that have a story to tell, gifts to share and lessons to teach the world. #inspiration

3. Rid Yourself of Negative People

OK. This one is tough. Think about a person who just brings you down. It could be a person you know, a person your only acquainted with, or it could even be a close family member. Only you can decide whether or not you should do this (or want to), and how best to do it. Every situation is different. Sometimes it calls for addressing situations in person, face-to-face and other times it calls for breaking contact, and sometimes it calls for leaving one day and never looking back. This is easier said than done, so I won't make light of the situation. The one instance where I would urge you to immediately remove yourself is if you are physically or emotionally at risk. Often, these types of situations will require help from someone outside of your circle- ask for that help.

4. Practice "Three Good Things" rule

I want you to write down three good things that happen throughout your day, each day, or three things that you are thankful for. It can really be as simple as "I'm thankful for the sun today."

5. Avoid Comparing Yourself to what you see on Social Media

Oh Social Media...Here is the thing: it's a clipped, cropped, cultivated representation of WHO WE ARE. It is NOT really who we are. We accentuate the BEST of ourselves. We filter and tweet what we want others to see- and to be perfectly honest, that's OK. It is no different then quickly cleaning up the house when we know someone will be stopping by; we like to present ourselves to others in the best light. The key to social media is to be MINDFUL that this is what everyone is doing--and yes I mean EVERYONE!

So, when spending that hour at a time scrolling through news feeds, know and understand that those updates, photos and comments have been carefully considered. And when we compare ourselves to others, we have a tendency to compare the WORST of ourselves to the best of everyone else. To be truthful, we have no business even comparing ourselves in the first place; it's just not a fair comparison. The funny thing is, people are probably comparing themselves to YOU. It's not a healthy pastime. I suggest that if you notice yourself making unhealthy comparisons, unsubscribe from that person, for a little while. You can still be friends, but you will stop seeing their updates. The 'three good things' exercise and knowing yourself will help you boost confidence if you find yourself in this spot.

6. Write.

If you have followed some of my other blogs then you know how important this is. Write. Whether in a blog or even a journal, writing is a therapeutic outlet for your thoughts. However you wish to do this; Julia Cameron's morning pages are recommended by me, or a diary, or be it random typed up notes on your phone, your way is your own but it can help free your mind to get things out of that space.

7. Get out there and Meet New People

If you are shy or introverted, like me, this will serve as part of the getting outside of your comfort zone exercise. Spend time with NEW people who can help broaden your horizons and open up new adventures and/or opportunities in your life. If you are unsure how to do this, start with friends of your friends. Get invited to parties or make it your mission to talk to someone when you are at a school function for the kids, or getting your morning coffee from the local coffee shop. Strike up a conversation at the gym. Introduce yourself to the person you always see at the beach or park. The possibilities are endless.

I am sure that if you are like me, the thought of doing this is giving you heart palpitations right now. This is a good thing. This means that it is time to seize the day. The easiest way to begin is simple, offer a compliment and ask an open ended question, kind of like this, 'So, how do you know...' I have found that this is a great ice breaker, especially for the socially awkward, like myself! ;)

8. Clear the Clutter

We all get emotionally attached to stuff in our lives. But, when we purge some of that stuff, ridding ourselves of all the clutter, you know that stuff...you have had it for almost a lifetime and yet it sits in the same spot collecting dust...you can and usually will feel empowered. This process is freeing! Cut back and do so by donating items, help out friends and family, or even have a garage sale. The other side of this is to start being mindful of future items that you bring into your life. I always like to ask if I want it or need it, because, honey, there is a difference.

9. Turn OFF the T.V.

This point I am about to make almost blew my own mind. It is so true. Emotions in others stirs emotions in you. OK, so I am watching this movie, it's a popular movie, in which a puppy is murdered, seriously, it was tragic and traumatic in the same breathe. Sure, it was not reality, but it stirred something in me that brought me DOWN. I was so caught up in the story-line and the emotional reaction that it brought within me. Sure, they say that a good movie will leave you full of whatever emotion they were trying to portray- so it's a job well done, but seriously...

So, if you give up your free time to watch the screen and what plays out, be prepared for the reactions you might face. I suggest spending time learning something new instead!

10. Get in touch with Nature.

Take time out of each day to breathe in some fresh air. Take a walk, visit a local beach, or just sit outside watching the clouds. I call these moments mini escapes, because I feel that this puts me in the real world away from the computers and TVs, or even cells phones! I love to watch the stars, swim, walk through the park near our home and something about roasted marshmallows in the summer over a bonfire, just puts me in the right mindset. The world we live in is beautiful and it is so important that we all take time and enjoy it and let it re-energize us in the hectic world that encloses most of us day in and day out.

11. Read.

Honestly, next to writing, this one takes the cake in my world. Reading connects us with people that may have lived long ago, before we were even born. It gives us an insight into another world, another perspective. It grows us in the easiest way possible, all from the comforts of our favorite chair. I understand if you are not a big reader, but the best way to start is to either pick a topic or find a book list of more popular books and dive right in. Nothing lets you live a life that is not your own like a book!

12. Develop a childlike sense of humor.

I have two young kiddos and I love how easy it is to make them laugh. Their humor is sweet and simple- pure joy escapes their happy little faces from a silly joke or even a funny face. I love embracing their lighthearted sense of humors; and reminding my own self of this happy, go lucky attitude. I try to get to that crying-laughing stage at least once a week. This is so healthy for us all to embrace and remind ourselves of this uncultivated joy. Life is to short to always be so serious!

13. Get a Hobby.

Hobbies serve a multitude of purposes. First, you learn a new skill and it is usually a creative or physical outlet. Guess what else, this can introduce you to new people and it gets you out of your comfort zone. Hobbies are typically an achievement of something that you have always wanted to do or try and it gives you something interesting to talk about when you meet new people. Being passionate about something different is cool. Passionate people are interesting, and it doesn't even matter what that passion is. It's energizing to talk to someone who has a real excited love for something.

14. Make Someone's Day.

Whether it's a stranger, a friend, your parent or spouse- do something right now to brighten someone's day. It can be as simple as a genuine compliment- an unexpected and thoughtful gift or what have you. Seeing the effect that your kindness has on others will leave a lasting impact on your personal growth!

Start now.

If you are ready to begin or develop your personal growth journey- try one of these ideas list above!

If you have already started your journey and would like to share what triggered your own personal growth, please do so below - your story could inspire others to begin their own journey!