Questions of the Day: Do you really know yourself? Do you live in constant awareness of how you’re changing and growing? Do you understand your strengths and use them in service of self and others? Do you have clarity on your weaknesses? Are you humble enough to surround yourself with people who complement your weaknesses and harness your skills and talents?
Who are you teaching and who are you learning from? Life is a constant exchange of value, how are you exchanging energy and resources with others? Do you realize that in order to give and receive, you must be constantly growing? Are you choosing to be stagnant or are you boldly creating your own flow?
WWN Reflection DAY 18: Take ACTION and Transform Your Life!
Today’s reflective focus is on PERSONAL GROWTH. The choice to learn and grow each day is a path that leads to wholeness and joy. You are able to impact, influence, change and inspire yourself and others around you, when you make yourself open to life-long learning, growing and exploring.
Imagine for a moment that a curious child who is 10 years, who has always been creative, open and had always sought knowledge, suddenly wakes up one day and declares: ‘I am smart and wise enough!’
And then shuts himself off from the world, refuses to learn new things, to grow, to ask question and chooses to only live the rest of his life based on the knowledge he’s acquired in life up until that age 10. Think of how limited, colourless and stunted that child’s life will become.
And yet this is exactly how some of us approach life. This is exactly how colourless, stunted and limited our lives become when we shut off our learning buds and creative cells and refuse to be open to new ideas, perspectives, ways of doing business, and new approaches to living.
Personal growth and development is a journey to expand our awareness and live out the knowledge we have gained. It is the ability to transit from intellectual ‘knowing’ to experiential living. You cannot continue to be the person you are now if you want to become the you of your dreams.
You alone are responsible for your growth. You alone must take control of your growth and progress. You must be accountable to yourself in the use of your God-given unique talents, abilities, skills and resources. You get to choose what your journey would be and how it all plays out. Inspire and motivate yourself to achieve your own growth. It is your life after all!
The quality of your relationships will often reflect your journey and your growth. Who and what you surround yourself with matter a lot. Begin to show a deeper level of awareness in your life, business and community. Have clarity on your personal/career/business/life goals. Know why certain people are in your life, what role(s) certain events and situations play in your overall purpose. Know why you go where you go, know what you say and understand why you say it. Meaningless conversations, events or situations that offer you nothing but negativity are a waste of your resources.
Reflect on the different areas of the sphere of life and take action in all of them. (Focus more attention on the area that gives you the most pain). Feed each area and grow in each area. The moment we are out of balance in one area, it begins to affect all the other areas negatively. So pay more attention to people, places, situations and things that drain or deplete you. And know what replenishes, re-charges and rejuvenates you. Know your source and your re-source. Know when to re-fuel and when to discharge. Know who you are and whose you are!
Have a dedicated budget and allocate resources to your growth. Water the gardens of your mind. Sow seeds of creativity, knowledge and be open to new ideas and perspectives. We grow through various means: The books we read, the movies/tv shows/plays we watch, the music we listen to, the games we play, the people we meet, the events we attend, the places we travel to, the conversations we have and how we work and worship. We grow in noisy, busy ‘crowds’ and we also grow alone, in our silence. Everything depends on how you choose to exchange energy both with yourself and with the universe.
One of the true tests of growth is the ability to revisit a past painful/challenging event and see new perspectives, interpretations and outcomes. Growth gives us options and choices. It allows us to acquire wisdom and thus develop an eagle eye on events and situations. Growth fosters behavioural flexibility. Real growth is maturity, a deepening of our understanding of our connectedness and relationships. It leads to more empathy, acceptance, forgiveness and expansion of our model of the world.
Growth is a beautiful dynamic process, it is not static. It may not always be easy but it is always fulfilling. Grow in the direction of your light and purpose. Growth has different seasons Pay attention to your seasons: farming, fasting, sacrificing, healing, tilling, sowing, watering, weeding, harvesting, gathering, feasting, sharing and glorifying. You are unique so also are your seasons. Avoid the compare and contrast game. It is at the root of all discontent, greed, and unhappiness. Growth will gift you with the spirit of contentment and gratitude.
“CONTENTMENT is what transforms your ‘hut’ into a beautiful mansion. A house is a house, it is your ENERGY that transforms it into a HOME. Build homes based on foundation of love, forgiveness, warmth, acceptance, peace and joy! The outside world can be hellish sometimes, so it is important to create your own safe haven of glory. You carry your HEAVEN with you where ever you go. Contentment means that you know and live your truth.
You are enough. You have enough. And you have the unique talent and ability to create more whenever you really need and want it. All you have to do is DECIDE and then take ACTION congruent with your decision. Growth leads to empowerment. Empowered individuals create empowered homes, families and workplaces, these in turn create empowered communities and societies. We can build the society of our dreams and it all starts with YOU!” ~Excerpt from the upcoming book: ‘UN-Locking Your HeArt of Leadership’~
Take ACTION and choose to grow! Take risks, step out of your ‘grey zone’, there’s nothing comfortable about it! Learn something new each day. Try something different. Take a little step each day. Do better and differently tomorrow that you did today. Otherwise, of what use is tomorrow? Embrace growth and become open to the amazing opportunities and interesting people all around you. Remember to celebrate your journey!
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-Juliet ‘Kego Ume-Onyido, MBA
Poet | Master-Certified Leadership Coach-Trainer -Consultant|
~Take empowered ACTION towards a Healthier, Sexier, Wealthier YOU!~
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Blogger Bio:
The preceding is a guest post from Juliet Ume, MBA –Co-Founder and Executive Director at Whole Woman Network. Juliet is the author of the upcoming books: “UN-Locking Your HeArt of Leadership” and “Today, I Will Not Bow”. A self-described Life-Connoisseur, who loves life and the whole human experience, Juliet was nicknamed a ‘reminderist’, [one who reminds us of that which we already know; that we are not fractured or broken and NOW is the perfect time to replace that fallacy with a new, beautiful truth: we are worthy, empowered, complete, whole creatures and our life journey is to return to wholeness]!
Her message is simply: “To use the power of written-spoken-sung WORDS to connect, heal, empower, change and transform our inner and outer worlds. Words have power in the meaning and interpretation we choose to give them and all of life is synchronistic poetry in motion! Are you telling empowering stories about yourself and others?”
She is a passionate advocate of WomEntrepreneurship, Leadership, Investment & Financial Literacy for women and youth (especially girls). Her mission is simply to engage, educate and empower women, regardless of their levels of income or background, to return to ‘wholeness’ and live Healthier, Sexier, Wealthier Lives using Faith-based, Scientific and Universal (Common-Sense) principles! Follow her on Twitter: @wholewomaninc, @julietumeinc. Enjoy some of her portfolio of poems on her Floetry Blog and follow her daily reflective posts on Facebook.
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Did you know that by January 15th, more than 68% of all New Year Resolutions in 2013 were already broken? (Source: BusinessNews Daily).
Let’s pattern-interrupt your old habits and get you off to a wonderful start in 2014. Remember, until you lead and transform yourself, it is futile to attempt to lead others.
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