Grow or Status Quo: What are you Choosing? 

August 2024 Multi-D Musings Blog 

Grow or Status Quo: What are you Choosing? 

At the beginning of the month, I was walking in my back yard and I stopped at two trees I visit every day. I placed one hand on each tree, as I always do. The tree on my right bears a scar from being trimmed back by the previous owners to make room for the path. I often put my hand on that sawed off branch. 

On that day, I heard: "See me for my light, not for my wounds." 

I was surprised to catch myself unconsciously placing my hand there. I was seeing it as a wound and missing the other beautiful qualities the tree possessed. Perhaps, I was assuming that it needed something from me, such as pity or healing. This reaction made me realize that even when we think we are living one way, there may be more layers of unconscious bias underneath. Those nine words—"See me for my light, not for my wounds"—invited me to expand my level of self-awareness. I could have shrugged off this message, but instead, I chose to dive in. 

Triggers: An opportunity for Growth   

The trees' outward scars triggered a response in me, rooted in my own perceptions and assumptions. I won’t go into what I learned about myself, rather this blog is to share with you how even the simplest of moments can result in big shifts.  

Triggers are an invitation to grow, to see our unconscious biases that shape our thoughts and behaviors. With awareness and a commitment to growth, we can start to change our beliefs and the lens from which we view the world. Choosing expansion and growth can be uncomfortable. It requires dropping parts of us that have been with us a long time.  

Ready to Focus on Your Light?   

Are you ready to focus on your light, gain more confidence, and make a meaningful impact? Are you willing to make the time to accept these invitations to grow? Can you find the courage to examine the thought processes that hold you in any space other than your divine wholeness? 

Here are a few strategies you can adopt to get you out of the status quo and on the growth path!  

• Imagine Your Expanded Self: Visualize the qualities you wish to embody and see that version of you as who you are NOW.  

• Welcome Triggers as Invitations: See triggers as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks. They are signs that there is more to uncover and transcend. Be grateful for them! 

• Manage the Negative Self Talk: When your ego and body send messages that you cannot do it, you are not good enough, or whatever it does to keep you in the status quo, go back to visualizing the expanded version of you and hold that vision. Remember, progress is not always linear, we have moments of expansion and contraction (ups and downs). 

• Practice Daily: Make it a habit to focus on your light every day. Notice when you slip into old thought patterns and gently guide yourself back. At the end of the day give yourself grace and gratitude for your commitment to self, despite any “perceived” setbacks. 

• Consider a Mentor: A mentor will guide you through this process and hold you accountable to that expanded version of self.  

Do your best to keep a journal so you can see your growth in writing! Document, document, document! Where are you now? What does your expanded version of self “look” like? How does s/he feel? Journal on what triggered you during the day and how you responded. If the negative self-talk takes over, write it all down and question it. Is it true? These are all clues to where you have room to grow and where you are not viewing yourself through the lens of your light. At the end of the day, give yourself thanks for your CHOICE to step more fully into your light.  

So, what are you Choosing?  

Are you ready to grow, or are you content with the status quo? If you are ready to embrace your light and move beyond your wounds, I invite you to take the next step with me. Book a free call to get started.  

https://www.disruptinggracefully.com/let-s-chat 

Final Thoughts 

Remember, the choice is yours: grow or maintain the status quo. By choosing to see yourself for your light, not your wounds, you take a powerful step towards a brighter, more fulfilling future.

Barbara Ann Jacques, PhD

DisruptingGracefully.com.

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