A Commitment To Growth

Today I'm contemplating change as I think about a little seed, 

an unlikely place to plant {a crack in our back porch}, 

this healthy little sapling, and growing pains.

It surely gives Bloom Where You're Planted a whole new look.

For now, I suppose it's okay in there,

but soon it'll be time to transplant it to 

a more suitable environment in which to flourish.

It reminds me about the wise words of

 speaker, author, and giver of hope Tyler Durman: 

A commitment to growth is a commitment to pain.

Growing pains, something we all know

a little something about.

Do you remember when you'd have 

those physical growth spurts as a child?

More profound but perhaps a little less outwardly obvious,

the emotional growth headaches and hurts:

A friendship lost.

Family changes.

A geographical move.

Through our trials and tribulations

as well as through our successes and celebrations,

we can all change. And bounce back. And bloom. And grow.

In fact, every day brings another opportunity

to decide and refine who we are, to leave our yesterday selves

in the past as we come face-to-face with our current and

ultimately future selves. Transformed. And better.

Every day, a chance to grow into a better version

of who we are and who we are becoming.

To work with intention, to let our pain propel us.

To never let our chance to live and love

w-h-o-l-e-h-e-a-r-t-e-d-l-y 

fall through the cracks.

And if it does, to struggle like that little seed

to come up from adversity and show up stronger.

What helps you stay committed to growth?

My daughter and I have been doing a book study

to help us make some atomic-small changes.

I loved sitting down with her this weekend

and pulling out our journals so we could

set our intentions; a favorite take-away

for both of us is the idea of habit stacking.

Basically, we're taking a habit we want to keep

and we stack a habit we want to set next to it.

So: After my morning coffee, I'm going to take my walk.

Now, instead of letting my walk happen by chance,

it's more likely to happen by intention, until

it becomes routine, and a habit is built.

I'm learning that change doesn't have

to be big to make huge growth gains.

Check out this book; I think you'll connect with 

its power to help us positively transform.

Speaking of change, on this five-month mark after The Camp Fire

devastation that Paradise, CA, endured when their homes, their school, their community burned to the ground, I'm honored to tell the story of Paradise Elementary's rebound. Click the image below to read their epic tale of 

heroism, compassion, resilience, hope and heart.

What habits might you want to change 

as you commit to growth?