Mindset Mastery: Your Invisible Growth

Mindset Mastery is a quick dose of mindfulness shared every Monday to help you launch your week with clarity, courage, and confidence!

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I am really looking forward to spring kicking off this week. Yes, to warmer temperatures. Yes, to more daylight. And yes, even to the outdoor work and my garden that by now, I'm sure, is filled with weeds.

Unlike most people, I find weeds quite fascinating.?Technically, they are plants just like any other plant but the problem is they often grow in places that we don't want them to grow. Some weeds can be quite invasive, ruining our brag-worthy lawns and stealing nutrients from our beautiful rose gardens. Some weeds can be quite dangerous, growing so tall along the highway that they obstruct our vision. While some are easy to pluck from the soil, many grow so deep we almost need a crane to pull them free.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of finding out just how deep some weed roots can travel. I was clearing out the space around my air condition unit when I stumbled on what seemed like a simple vine. As I pulled then pulled more and more I realized this was not going to be easy. An hour later, with the pictures to prove it, I had nearly eight feet worth of vine tunneled deep beneath the surface of the ground.

Weeds teach us many lessons. Let's stop for a moment to see how those lessons can apply in our lives.

• Root Systems: Weeds often have extensive root systems that may spread deeply underground. While the plant itself may not seem large or significant above the surface, its roots are actively growing and expanding beneath the soil. This mirrors the idea that personal growth may occur internally or behind the scenes, not always immediately evident to others.
• Resilience: Weeds are notorious for their ability to thrive in adverse conditions. They can push through cracks in pavement, survive droughts, and compete with other plants for resources. Similarly, personal growth often involves overcoming challenges and setbacks, which may not be apparent to observers but are crucial for development.
• Adaptability: Weeds have evolved to adapt to various environments, displaying different growth patterns and strategies depending on factors like soil composition, sunlight, and water availability. This reflects the notion that personal growth is adaptable and can take different forms depending on individual circumstances and experiences.
• Incremental Growth: Weeds often grow slowly and steadily, with incremental progress over time. While each individual sprout may seem insignificant, collectively, they can form dense patches of vegetation. Likewise, personal growth often occurs gradually, through small changes and consistent effort, rather than sudden transformations.
• Unpredictability: Weeds can appear unexpectedly and spread rapidly, sometimes seemingly out of nowhere. Similarly, personal growth can be unpredictable, with breakthroughs and insights occurring unexpectedly, and progress not always following a linear trajectory.

What I hope you will remember this week is growth can only be seen when you slow down long enough to see it.

Maybe you haven't lost the weight you want to lose yet but you are making healthier meals.

Maybe you haven't finished the book that you want to publish but you have written the first chapter.

Maybe you haven't left the job that's causing you stress but you are getting better at setting boundaries.

Take a moment this week to celebrate your growth that's been uncomfortable and isn't always visible.

For Your Practice:

Developing a growth mindset is the key to designing the life that you desire and deserve.

More than simply setting goals and chasing items on a To-Do-List, it's important to develop the mental strengths and 'roots' that make you resilient and adaptable to change.

If you are feeling frustrated by circumstances in your life and want this to your breakthrough year of true personal growth and transformation, here are a few journal prompts to get you started:

1. Reflect on Past Challenges: Write about a time when you faced a significant challenge or obstacle. Describe how you initially reacted to the challenge and what steps you took to overcome it. Did you approach the situation with a fixed mindset, believing that your abilities were limited? Or did you adopt a growth mindset, viewing the challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow? How did your mindset influence your actions and eventual outcomes??What lessons did you learn from this experience that you can apply to future challenges?
2. Embrace Mistakes as Learning Opportunities: Think about a recent mistake or failure that you experienced. Instead of dwelling on feelings of frustration or disappointment, consider how you can reframe the situation as a valuable learning opportunity. What insights or lessons can you glean from this mistake? How might you approach similar situations differently in the future? How can you use this experience to cultivate resilience and develop new skills??Write about ways in which embracing mistakes can contribute to your personal growth and development.
3. Set Growth-Oriented Goals: Take some time to brainstorm and set goals that align with your desire for personal growth and development. Rather than focusing solely on outcomes or achievements, think about goals that challenge you to learn, adapt, and improve over time.?Consider both short-term and long-term goals that encompass various aspects of your life, such as career, relationships, health, and hobbies. Reflect on why each goal is important to you and how achieving it will contribute to your overall growth and fulfillment. Write down specific action steps you can take to work towards each goal, and consider how you can maintain a growth mindset throughout the journey.

Remember that when it comes to your personal journal practice you don't need perfect sentences nor perfect punctuation. You can scribble, erase, cross out and be as messy as you'd like. Your journal is for you.

A radiant, resilient life filled with GROWTH is calling you. All you need to do is answer.

If the very idea of having time to yourself this year to renew, refresh, and reinvent a life of continual growth sounds like exactly what you want and need I invite you to join me in September for my second annual Design The Life You Deserve??.

Early Bird Registration opens this week, just in time for Spring!

Join the announcement list today.

Wishing you an amazing week, friend.

Be well. Be love(d). Be good to yourself.

Angel V. Shannon, MS, CRNP

Founder + Executive Director of Seva Health + The Seva Institute

Mindset Mastery is a quick dose of mindfulness shared every Monday to help you launch your week with clarity, courage, and confidence!

Need a dynamic, heart-focused keynote speaker for your next corporate retreat? Connect with Angel here and subscribe to her podcast here.

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