You can Grow

Have you ever felt like you were only allowed to grow to the extent that others were comfortable with your growth? Perhaps this was unconscious. You mentally checked in with everyone else’s needs first as if seeking their permission to grow. You were nice. You were selfless. You put other’s needs ahead of your own. “Your growth must meet everyone else’s needs too,“ you thought. Maybe it even feels uncomfortable to take up space, to raise the volume of your voice, to do something new, to defy expectations. I know very few things for certain, but I know this for sure: You are here to do what no one else in the 13.7 billion year history of universe can do: BE YOURSELF. Only you can do that. Only you know what that means. Only you can know the next step. It doesn’t matter what they say. The path of humility and service is the path of authenticity. You don’t need permission to be you, you just need to show up for your life. The practice is to show up as yourself even in the midst of criticism. Indeed, the most challenging criticism will come from the voice within your head. So, shower yourself with self-compassion. Lavish yourself with the support of wise and loving friends. Learn to love others without sacrificing your needs and values. You can BOTH care for others and care for yourself. Indeed, the more authentic, honest, and grounded you are in yourself, the more fierce love, and bold compassion you will have to give to the world. Weekend Wisdom is a weekly sharing from Copper Beech Institute’s founder, Dr. Brandon Nappi.