How Growth Happens
My dad has an amazing green thumb. His backyard is full of various fruits and vegetables that he grew on his own. Meanwhile, I can’t seem to keep my artificial plants alive. This weekend he gave us some of the literal fruits of his labor, and it led me to reflect on how this applies to growth in our own lives.
Growth Requires Nurturing
When it comes to my dad’s garden, I get to enjoy the end result. The part I don’t see is how he makes sure to provide what the plant or tree needs: soil, water, fertilizer, sun, pruning. You can’t just water a plant and expect it to grow. The same goes for us. We need to tend to our all our needs: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. I like saying PEMS or MEPS for short. SMPE doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. Since we’re talking about this, this is a good time to do a check-in on some of our needs:
Getting enough sleep?
Giving yourself rest and breaks?
Are you getting physical activity or exercise?
Trying to eat healthy, well-balanced meals?
How are you feeling? What are your emotions telling you about what you need?
How are your relationships? Who do you need to connect with?
Are you getting mental stimulation that gives you energy like reading or learning about things you enjoy?
Are you getting mental rest?
Have you carved out time to meditate or pray?
If you’re religious, are you spending time reading and reflecting on scripture?
How much time are you spending on social media or “doomscrolling”? Can you give yourself a break or limit your time?
What could you do to be kind to your “future” self today?
Add your own!
Growth Takes Consistency
Along with some fresh-picked fruit, my dad also gave me a plant for the new office. He made sure to tell me that I need to water it, but not too much. I told him that I learned this hard lesson with my first succulents. (On a side note, all those bloggers who say succulents are easy to take care of are ruthless liars, but I’m not bitter or anything. Now where was I… oh yeah… consistency…)
The same principle goes for nurturing our growth. It needs to be consistent. We can’t just get in all our needs on the weekend and hope that it will sustain us for the rest of the week. Is there a time during the day or week that you can do regular check-ins? I like to have “Set Up Sundays” where I check-in and set up my plan for the upcoming week. I also carve out a little moment each day to slow down and check-in and what I might need.
Growth Takes Time and Perspective
The other interesting thing about my dad’s garden is that my family’s been living there for over 30 years, but it wasn’t until recently that I started to notice how big some of his plants and trees are. He actually has cactus so tall you’d think you were out in the desert for a moment. That’s the same with our own growth. We might not even notice the change until we look back at where we started. As you look back, what are some signs of growth from where you started? Sometimes it’s hard to see it ourselves, and we need another perspective. Is there someone you can ask that could encourage and affirm your growth?
Well, that’s it for today. I hope this post will help you in your journey toward healing and growth. Until next time, have a great week!
- Dr. Chou
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Note: The information in this post should not be considered professional advice. Also, this post is not a substitute for medical or mental health treatment. If you would like professional mental health services, contact me,
