Nurture Your Readiness.
If taking The Way We Grow’s personal growth readiness quiz showed you that you’re not quite there yet, here’s where you can start.
Feel like kicking it up a notch? Play with the free, interactive Nurture Your Readiness Cheat Sheet below.
3 Ways to Nurture Your Readiness
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3 Ways to Nurture Your Readiness ✳︎
No. 1: Accept your uncertainties or skepticism.
If you feel uncertain or skeptic about whether personal growth is worth it, effective, or something for you to create positive change, accept it.
This means not secretly judging how you feel or feeling shame or anger about it. It means not trying to justify how you feel to yourself or others.
This kind of acceptance might seem counter intuitive. You might be thinking, “But if I accept my resistance, doesn’t that just keep me resistant?” Nope! Acceptance is opening. And kind of like reverse psychology.
For example:
Notice how when you’re angry but deep down judge your anger, you just feel worse. And you might even get angrier.
Notice how when you’re sad but deep down make it wrong (e.g., “it’s weak”, “you shouldn’t feel it like you do”, etc.), you just feel worse. And you might even get further into your sadness.
Resistance is like throwing fire on fire when you actually want to put it out.
Accept where you’re at and release any urge to make it (or you) wrong.
No. 2: Focus on simple ways to feel good in your body, with intention.
Everything is a little (or a lot) easier if you’re starting from a good-feeling place in your body. Similarly, everything is a little (or a lot) harder if you’re starting from a depleted, overwhelmed, or emotionally charged place.
Incorporating simple, easy ways to feel good daily can go a long way. And it doesn’t need to be about “personal growth”.
It can just be about living well.
For example:
Notice how a good walk can help you feel more alive, more calm, more purposeful.
Notice how drinking your favorite coffee or tea with intention feels good.
Notice how stretching your body makes you feel during or afterwards.
Notice what listening to music that feels soothing or positive does to you.
Notice how doing your favorite hobby like gardening, a sport, writing, or a game can make you think even just a little better about life.
These are all things that boost positive chemicals in your brain. They all add up and can get your readiness blooming over time.
No. 3: Allow yourself to be inspired by other people’s stories.
There are countless people who have overcome difficult experiences. There will absolutely be people who have done what you right now wish for yourself. There will be people who have what you right now want.
The key is to give yourself permission to see their stories—real stories—as your possibility. Again, this doesn’t need to be about “personal growth”.
It can just about the beauty of real people’s life story.
It’s very easy to look at others who inspire you and say, “That’s them. Not me. I’m different.” But allow yourself to play with a different narrative: What if it could be you too? Because it can.
Kick It Up A Notch
Free Resource
The Nurture Your Readiness Cheat Sheet →
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