How have you grown?
This weekend, I went on a getaway with nine other women, most of whom I met 30 years ago and hadn’t stayed in touch with. It struck me that despite the time that had passed, we were still very much the same people we were when we first met. It also struck me that for those of us who hadn’t kept in touch, it wouldn’t be obvious how much we’d grown and changed.
On our last night together, we sat together around an imaginary firepit and took turns sharing our reflections to this question:
How have you grown and changed over all these years?
For me, the biggest growth is in my journey back to self. I have always been a self-aware person but I’ve only been as self-aware as my current understanding of self. So I’ve grown- and am still growing- in self-awareness through cultural, societal, family, and religious deprogramming and deconditioning, shedding some deep-seated but old identities to step into a truer version of myself.
I’ve also grown- and am still growing- in compassion. I used to be so self-deprecating and now I am more compassionate to myself and others.
And, I’ve become more emotionally available to myself and others. For much of my life, I was out of touch with my emotions. I had to teach myself how to be attuned to my emotions and how to communicate them. This growth happened through relationships and ultimately led me to my husband who I continue to grow with.
Who can you share your reflections with after you journal about it?
There is something powerful about sharing your reflections with someone else. You see people as they are, not how you think them to be. And the connection through shared insight is deep.
We had a really special, meaningful night because of this question. We all opened up and we connected with each other in a deeper way. And it just took one question.
I hope this gives you something to journal about this week and an opportunity to connect more deeply with others.
How have you grown? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
Happy journaling!
Jeana