Sometimes true growth is about breaking free from a tight shell. It's somehow like when you grow bigger than your clothes and so they no longer fit. If you want to grow, you have to break free from what hinders you. Maybe this means saying good-bye to the people, beliefs, or past habits that once were good for you.
It's not always easy to recognize when something no longer fits. We get comfortable and comfort can be deceiving. Comfort isn't the same as growth, though. If we hold onto what feels safe then perhaps we cut ourselves off from something even better.
For me, growth largely means stepping into the unknown. It's scary because you are going to an unknown space, but remaining where you are isn't that useful either because it doesn't serve you anymore.
Sometimes, it's the people who no longer fit into our lives. The relationships or interactions which used to be very supporting may start to drain. It is hard to admit that we no longer find some of the connections good for us but it is great to be honest with ourselves. Letting go does not mean you don't care anymore, it's just that you genuinely care about your growth.
This goes for beliefs as well. We embrace some of the ideas only because they have been consistently present in our lives. With time, some of these beliefs slowly feel very restrictive. Of course, it is alright to change your mind and adapt new perspectives that resonate with the person you are getting to be.
And then there are habits. We all have our regular routines that we do day by day. But some habits can keep us in the rut of the past. This makes getting into the habit of regularly evaluating what we are doing tough, and asking ourselves if what we are doing is still helpful to us in achieving new growth. If not, it might just be time to make a change.
Growth is a process. Much like the crab that outgrows his shell and looks for another, so are we called upon to let go of the old and give way to the new. It's about stepping forward, even when hard, and having faith that somewhere better is waiting ahead.
