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Let’s talk about growth for a minute. What does that mean to you, at first glance? Everyone’s perspective will be different. For some it may mean advancing in their career. For others it may look like growing their social circle. It could be a growing bank account, or it could be moving from horrible depression into a brighter life.
You will think of growth, based on what is happening in your life right now. But I think it is important to acknowledge it, so that you can take steps to keep growing. A mistake I think too many make, is reaching a goal and then sitting down right in that spot and being satisfied. Now don’t get me wrong, I do think you should sit there for a moment and celebrate your accomplishments! You did it, you are awesome! Then, figure out what your next step is, if you don’t already have it mapped out. What will you do next? How will you keep growing? I believe this is important in your relationships, career, health, passions and wealth to always have a plan for growth.
Recently I was coaching someone who couldn’t get past the mindset of “But I am grateful for what I have, I don’t NEED anything else.” I am here to tell you that if you woke up breathing today (I know you are, because you are reading this), God has more work for you to do in this world. To get more done, you need to grow, learn, advance, dive deep, something! You have more to learn so that you can make an impact on the world, just like God created you for. If you believe you are good, right there, doing exactly what you have been doing, day in and day out for who knows how long, I boldly call you a rock. Rocks don’t move much, they don’t get bigger, they don’t expand. Rocks get stepped on, walked over, and often have the elements beating on them for so long that they break apart into smaller pieces. Don’t be a rock!
Be a tree! A tree starts as a little seed, but it is nurtured, it is fed and watered. It grows, often times very slowly. Most may not notice a new leaf sprouting here or there. But God does. God will nourish and bless you as you are growing. He knows that as you grow, you can do more good, you can bless more people, you can provide hope and light for others who aren’t sure how to grow right at this minute.
You may have had many trials in life, goodness knows I have had plenty, some that I thought would kill me. But I didn’t die! You hear me? I didn’t die! And you haven’t died yet either! That means you have more work to do while you are on this earth! The trickiest part? You probably have no clue what God wants you to do or in what areas he wants you to grow. Here is my advice. Pray about it, talk about it, ask loved ones what they think you are especially good at. As you do that, you will find that a certain area likely keeps coming up. Move into that, explore that, figure out what kind of growth you can have in that area. As I mentioned before, it may be in your relationships, your career, your wealth or health or it may be in your spiritual life. You don’t need to grow in all areas at the same time, that would be overwhelming. Yet I believe completely that as you start to grow into a certain area that may need some extra attention, opportunities will arise for you to grow in new areas.
Once you start growing, it is super hard to stop. Not only does it feel amazing, but it is so good for your soul!
I challenge you to start a list. Not a list in your head, but a list on paper, in your handwriting. Write down all of the things you wanted to do at some point in your life. Even if the thought pops up telling you why you can’t do it, write it down anyway! Tell those negative thoughts to get the heck out of your mind. You are allowed to dream! When did you last dream for yourself? Not for your kids or your spouse, but for you? When did you focus on what sets your heart on fire? Why is this important? Because God put those dreams in your heart for a reason. He put them their and he has given you the skills to reach your dreams, but you must be moving and growing to qualify you to have them.
Here is the most important part: If you don’t know what your dreams are, because they are buried so deep under dishes, laundry, virtual school, past failures, lack of money and a lack of a support system to tell you that you can do anything (among other things); then I need you, especially to start writing down your dreams and stick it to your fridge! Keep adding things to it! What type of things can go on there? Anything!
But I know, some of you need examples to get your juices flowing, so here are some things on my list:
1. Go on a private yacht with my friends in the Mediterranean.
2. Drive a Range Rover.
3. Reach the top rank in my company, while bringing my team up the ranks with me.
4. Have a waiting list of people wanting to be coached by me.
5. Wear a custom created Rolex.
6. Have a second home in the mountains near Salt Lake City, UT
7. Fly on a private plane with my family and friends.
8. Take my kids to Europe for 3-4 weeks every summer.
9. Have a personal chef.
10. Have an assistant.
11. Speak on stage at a corporate event.
12. Buy a home.
13. Take a vacation in one of those hut over water locations.
14. Have fresh flowers delivered to my house once a week.
15. Buy a home with a great down-payment.
16. Earn all of the contest prizes that my company offers, especially the shopping spree.
17. Write a book, that gets published.
All right friends, can I call you a friend now, because I literally just shared some of my most personal goals that I am working towards in life. Reaching them requires a ton of growth, but it is growth that I know will be good for me.
My final thought, sometimes growth looks like helping other people grow. Over the past few months, I have watched people that I started coaching 6 months ago, reach heights that they had long given up on. They have grown into amazing leaders, they have tripled their income, they are supported now by their biggest skeptics and they are truly growing into who God wants them to be; and it is a beautiful thing that I was able to play a tiny role in their growth. Here is what I know for certain, if I hadn’t of taken a huge leap of faith to dig deep into my growth in Aug 2019, I wouldn’t have been able to help them get where they have gotten today.
Will you make the decision to start growing today? What are will you start in? I will be praying for you to feel God’s prompting as he begins to guide you.
NOW GO! BE A TREE!