Sunday, April 15, 2012

Growth

“You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety.” ~ Abraham Maslow

What a powerful quote. It's true, though. The only way to grow is to step forward into an area you're not comfortable. And it's not pleasant. You feel exposed, vulnerable. But those feelings give way to confidence, if we stick around long enough and don't go backwards into our cozy safety net.

I heard once that if someone cuts a cocoon to ease the transition for a new butterfly, to shorten its struggle, the butterfly will die because its wings are not strong enough to fly. That is what this quote brings to mind. It's a good metaphor for both personal and professional growth. If someone clears the path for us, makes everything easy and comfortable and without challenge, how will we ever succeed? How will we be strong enough to carry through? How will we even trust ourselves to make the right decisions if we haven't been tested?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

1 comment:

  1. This is beautiful and something that will stay in my mind throughout the day. I feel like my life is full of constant challenges and yet I have been fortunate to have made some good decisions that have helped me create the beautiful life that I have. I think challenges build good character and make you a stronger more enriched person. If life were too easy, we wouldn't appreciate it enough. Thanks for this inspiring post.

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