From Seed to Skies: Unleashing the Power of Growth

Growth is a natural sequential order. Everything that has life in it, everything that breathes in and out, naturally grows upward. I have never seen a tree grow and reduce in size, except of course, through the actions of the sons of men. The growth of the fetus in the womb is highly instructive. If that which is not visible can be consistent with its own growth pattern, then the generality and universality of growth has just been established, it is same with the pathogen as it is with the host.

Growth is a normalcy, a general phenomenon. Whether you are unicellular or multicellular, as long as you are an organism, and you have life in you, you are bound to grow. Just take a shufti round you, you will see that everything grows. The young chick doesn't remain a chick forever, she is now a hen, a mother to a lot more chickens. The little puppy of yesterday is no longer a puppy, he is now a father to several puppies. Growth is normal, very normal. It is therefore considered a grade one level of abnormality, if you are living and yet stagnant.

Growth happens minutely, but over the months, or years, its accumulated effects become visible. Of all types of growth, physical growth is the most obvious, and the most natural. The growth of the human nails for instance, doesn't require the direct involvement of any man. So long the body is fed, there is enough water and the motor system is perfectly functional, the nails will grow. The same argument goes with the growth and enlargement of any body part. The eyes doesn't require a special treatment from you, so long you observe the daily nutrition, their growth is unstoppable.

But other types of growth are not so obvious, at least not physical, but they affect the functioning and relevance of a man in his society. Talk about mental growth. Psychological growth. Capacity growth. Growth in skills set (soft and hard), knowledge and wisdom. All these types of growth are not as physical as bodily growth, but also, they are not natural. Which means they do not happen without something, or someone making sure they happen.

Books are considered a compendium of knowledge containing secrets and wisdom for daily living. A man who wants his wisdom increased and his understanding sharpened knows books are fundamental requirements for the realization of these ends. But the books won't read themselves. There's got to be some level of intentionality within the man. He has to take responsibility by buying the books, and reading the books. For then, his scope will be enlarged, his understanding stretched, and his wisdom increased. And he will grow, mentally.

Growth is a natural phenomenon, and if you check around you, almost everything is growing. But as much as physical growth is good, growth in other spheres is better. There are a lot of able-bodied, fully grown but useless individuals. Useless because they only increased in size and not in content. It is a terrible thing for a man to increase in size and not in content. I repeat, it is a terrible thing for a man to increase in size and not in content. So as much as you are bound to increase in heights, weights and size, make it your priority to not just increase in those but also in content. You will not be useless!

In a nutshell, growth seems to be a very natural, sequential ordering. But some growths are more natural than the others, and some are yet, artificial. Funnily enough, those ones that are artificial, are what sets you on the pedestal of life. But they happen only when you are intentional.