Repeat after me, “I am growing through life.”  

 

Journaling has been an important part of my morning routine. As I sit to write, I like to read and reflect on a journal entry; sometimes written on the same day from the prior year. While reading old entries I’m reminded of the experiences that shaped the thoughts and emotions behind the words I had written at that time. This has given me an even greater perspective of gratitude for where I am today. There are times when the overall tone and words seem unrecognizable and it’s as if I was a completely different person when I wrote it. Within those moments come the realization of personal growth. 

 

Growth means experiencing improvement over time and being able to measure it requires a clear vision of where you want to go, yet also having an image of where you once were. You’ve seen examples of people who achieve their weight loss goals and they typically take a before and after photo. If there wasn’t an image of them before could you truly appreciate where they are now? Depending on how drastic of a transformation, the before and after images can sometimes look like two different people which makes the impact of their story more inspiring and believable. Having the ability to measure where you are now against where you once were is like being the observer of your own story and testimonial. Both of which will help you feel more motivated and inspired to keep growing.