“In the beginning, you’re not as bad as people think you are, but if you do things right in life, in the end, you’re not as good as people think you are. Somewhere in between those two, is where you ought to live.” –John Maxwell
Success is a journey, not a destination. The more you grow, the more you will recognize you need to grow. That is a fact of life. You will never arrive. You will always need to keep growing.
I remember talking to a mentor when I was 18 years old. I had just finished my first year of interning at a church. I asked my mentor, “How did you get where you are today? You’re amazing!” He said, “Bubba, look back on the past year, did you grow a lot?” “Oh yea! I grew a ton!” I replied. “I’ve been growing like that for 25 years. Just keep growing. Keep getting better.”
That conversation made me recognize that if I will do my best to grow and get better everyday, I will become the person God wants me to become and be able to handle whatever God wants me to do.
After 9 years of growing intentionally, I have noticed that things I had to grow through at 18 seem like nothing compared to what I am growing through now. In fact, things I had to grow through last year seem small compared to what I am growing through today! Always remember that the things you are growing through now will seem small five years from now, if you make the decision to keep growing.
It’s easy to get discouraged while we’re trying to grow because sometimes it seems like we’re not growing at all. If we think we have to grow through those things in a day, week, month, or year, we’ll most likely get frustrated give up. If we choose to just work on those things on a daily basis and recognize that any progress is progress, we’ll grow through whatever we need to grow through.
Joyce Meyer often says, “I’m not where I’m supposed to be, but thank God I’m not where I used to be!” I think it would do all of us good to reflect on that statement often. Keep reminding yourself that growth is a journey, not a destination. There will always be another battle to fight, character issues to mature, and skill sets that need improvement.
Don’t get discouraged in your pursuit of personal growth. Remember that growth happens daily, not in a day.
Make the choice to grow everyday. Recognize you will always need to be growing.
Keep growing. Keep getting better.
Looking back 5 years from now, I think you’ll be surprised how much you’ve grown if you daily made the decision to get better.
Thoughts?
