There will be times in life when you are aware that you are outgrowing old constraints. You may realize that something you used to do all the time no longer feels like a part of your journey. Or perhaps, there are people you used to be close to whom you’ve had to say goodbye to. These are moments where you can feel the shift happening, and you may even notice things changing within yourself.
And then, there are also moments when the outgrowing of those old constraints may happen in more subtle ways, and it’s worth noticing those, too. In the same way a plant might not initially look like it’s about to outgrow its pot before it suddenly sheds old leaves to make room for new growth and reaches for the sun in a new direction, perhaps the same is true in our lives, too.
Perhaps, it might look like this:
The shift: You used to be driven by a strong image of how things were supposed to go, but now, you’re becoming less attached to those rigid expectations. You’re starting to be open to unexpected possibilities.
The subtle outgrowing: There might not be a dramatic action taken in this sense, just a quiet shedding of tightly-held blueprints. Instead of resisting when life doesn’t follow the script, you are slowly cultivating an openness to what may unfold.
The shift: You once could only see strength as holding on with all your might, but now you’re discovering the importance of letting go, too. You’re learning that flexibility and adaptability are forms of strength as well.
The subtle outgrowing: This transformation might not come with grand gestures. Instead, it’s a gradual realization that there are some things that need untangling and unwinding. By releasing them, you’re not giving up; you’re making room for growth and new experiences, gently becoming a little more free, easing your way into new beginnings.
In both the larger and more subtle moments, may there be more room to observe all of the steps you’ve taken to move through this. Like a growing plant, may you continue to turn and face the rising sun and shed what is no longer needed so you can continue to grow as you were meant to. – Morgan Harper Nichols
