Stability and Adaptability: Key Pillars of Growth

The image of a towering tree, roots exposed, reaching towards the sky, serves as a powerful metaphor for personal development. It symbolizes two fundamental aspects of growth: stability and adaptability.

Stability comes in the form of our core values and experiences that shape who we are. These are the non-negotiables that provide a sense of identity and direction. They keep us grounded and give us the confidence to pursue our goals.

Adaptability, on the other hand, is the capacity to adjust. Like the tree that bends in the wind, we too must learn to navigate the unpredictability of life, being open to learning, willing to face change, and prepared to adjust our path as necessary. These principles remain true both in our personal lives and in our businesses.

I'll never forget the period in my life when I decided to re-enter the business world after the privilege of staying home to raise our children for 15 years. I was nervous, struggling to reconnect with the mindset of the young woman who once sat before the risk manager of a large international manufacturing company as an insurance sales consultant. Or when I proposed—and earned—the insurance program for a firm owned by the second wealthiest man in New Jersey at the time. These clients, among others, who held large contracts that protected their greatest assets (including their employees), trusted me. Yet, here I was, 20+ years later, feeling ill-equipped.

However, I knew I was not "stuck." It wasn't until I immersed myself in learning through reading materials and networking collaborations, focusing on everything from enhancing my consultative selling skills to better understanding business strategy and resilience, that I felt my wings grow stronger. When I learned about LinkedIn, I began reaching out to my previous network of business professionals and exploring conversations that sometimes led somewhere, and sometimes didn't. My experience in sales instilled in me the knowledge that each conversation brings us closer to the result we're looking for, even when a door is shut. The more I read and the more conversations I had, the more I was reminded of my previous successes and strengths, drawing from those experiences. I was no longer simply trying to sell myself; I was also there to interview them. I was there to ask questions and actively listen, after all, the goal was to learn whether I could help them.

For anyone out there doubting your self-worth, keep the tree in your mind as a visual that growth is a continuous process of balancing who we are with who we aspire to become, both personally and professionally. Do things that encourage you to grow stronger, mindfully, physically and spiritually, in whatever that means to you. Stay true to your core values while not resisting change. Only then do we know that what we are doing is right and true.