The Growing Life

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Lately my wife and I have noticed that our 7-week old daughter Malone is starting to outgrow some of her newborn clothes. Suddenly, the jumpsuits that once enveloped her are now uncomfortably tight. Of course this is nothing surprising, from the moment they are born babies grow…its healthy. If she wasn’t growing that there would be a problem. A lack of growth indicates sickness and if not corrected, death. Thankfully, she’s growing like a weed.

But, growth is not just for babies. While most of us finally stop our physical growth in our late teens and early twenties, other areas of growth ie. mental, spiritual, emotional, relational must still occur if one hopes to live their best life. Just as a baby ceasing to grow would indicate sickness, so too with an adult ceasing to grow in any of these areas. Simply put, if you’re not growing, you’re dying.

In thinking about all of this I am reminded of a great saying I have heard a few times and something I’ve made into sort of a personal motto, “You’ll be the same person a year from now except for the books you read, the places you go and the people you meet.” To me these represent the primary ways that one continues to grow in life. Here’s why:

Books - Johannes Gutenberg, a German goldsmith and printer, invented movable type printing in the mid-15th century ushering in a revolution in the way that information and ideas were shared. Books brought about the democratization of information allowing people all over the world to learn things about people, places and things they had never seen or experienced. The same is true today.

Books allow us to travel, meet new people, walk ancient battle grounds and learn from a Nobel prize winner, all without leaving the comfort of our favorite recliner. Ideas have consequences, they shape how we view the world and interact within it. Books are essentially idea transporters that help us grow. Read, read, read.

Travel - The longer one lives life the more one realizes that they are just a small piece in a very large masterpiece. The way things are done in middle America is not necessarily the way things are done in the other 99% of the world, this can be a startling revelation to some. It is possible to learn a lot about different cultures through book, but nothing compares to immersing yourself. Eating new food, learning new languages, hearing different viewpoints are all growth experiences that make travel so incredible.

During my time at the Air Force Academy I had the opportunity to go to Mexico, Morocco, Germany, Thailand and South Korea. Each of these places taught me something unique and helped me grow in a different way. Without these trips, I can tell you without a doubt, that my worldview would be extremely limited and incomplete. More than anything, traveling has taught me that life is not about me.

People - Most often, the primary influences in our lives are friends and family. The people we choose to associate with are the people who have our ear, our minds and our hearts. My friend Aaron likes to say, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” Look around at your friends, are they the people you want to become? Since people are such big influences, it makes sense that a big part of growing is continuing to meet new ones and more important than just meeting people, meeting the right people.

For me, one of the best and most unexpected part of blogging has been meeting so many motivated, quality people. Through comments, blog carnivals and various social media sites I have had the pleasure of meeting people from incredibly diverse backgrounds. Connecting with these people has taught me a great deal, not just about blogging, but about things like personal finance, personal development, social entrepreneurship, and the health care industry .

Obviously not everyone has the time or desire to blog, but the important thing is to constantly put yourself in positions where you will be able to meet new, quality people. Go to church, attend the symphony, volunteer, or join a book club. The method doesn’t matter as much as the end result, growth.

Related posts:

1. 20 Things To Do in Your 20’s
2. 7 Proverbs for Skilled Living
3. Small Groups: The Quiet Revolution
4. 7 Ways to Remember What You Read