Quotes About Growth

You don't have to be who you first were. That early version of yourself, that season you were in, even the phase you are currently experiencing—it is all good or purposeful or at least useful and created a fuller, nuanced you and contributed to your life's meaning, but you are not stuck in a category just because you were once branded that way. Just because something was does not mean it will always be.

At family gatherings where you suddenly feel homicidal or suicidal, remember that in half of all cases, it's a miracle that this annoying person even lived. Earth is Forgiveness School. You might as well start at the dinner table. That way, you can do this work in comfortable pants.1 — ANNE LAMOTT

Worry less about getting recognized and more about becoming good at what you do. Take yourself seriously. Take your art seriously. You are both worth this.

The gospel will die in the toxic soil of self.

You are not pigeonholed into a brand; that is not the way God works. He is on the move, which means, if we are paying attention, we are on the move with Him. It's so exciting! Possibility and adventure and love and life await us all.

When people are forced to reap what they sow, the benefit of consequence is appropriately placed, and health and healing become possible.

While my stuff is decreasing, what matters is increasing in equal measure.

Tell me more about that. Tell me how your thoughts progressed in this. I appreciate your experience with this. I'm listening. I hear what you are saying. I would love to learn from you. I care about how you feel and your perspective here. I understand that. I identify with that. What do you think of __________? I hadn't thought of it in that way. Thank you for that angle. Let me think about that a bit before I respond. Thanks for your transparency.

I bet our kiddos are sturdier than we think. Maybe they don't need every gadget and advantage. Maybe kids grow like all humans do: through struggle, failure, and perseverance. They might have a gear we didn't know about and don't need to be coddled like fragile hothouse plants that can't adapt to new environments. I bet the kids will surprise us.

Serving together revolutionized our marriage. If one is ahead, prioritize patience and nag-resistance. God isn't a wedge between spouses; if you aren't walking side by side, I believe God will wait for you both. Press Pause. Don't give the spiritual depth to your church or friends and leave housekeeping leftovers for your man. Grow together, learn together, seek together, serve together. This is the most eternal portion of your union; treat it with utmost care.

Cloud and Townsend suggest two questions to regularly ask the closest people in your life: What do I do that draws you toward me? What do I do that pushes you away?

A good parent prepares the child for the path, not the path for the child. We can still demonstrate gentle and attached parenting without raising children who melt on a warm day.

Mostly good is enough. Mostly good produces healthy kids who know they are valued and either forget the other parts or turn them into funny stories.

Don't bury that talent, because the only thing fear yields is one dormant gift in a shallow grave.

I suspect the wilderness is a permanent home for me, which is both happy and hard.

The middle place still has a lot of life left, so we'll store up these years like a treasure, remembering them one day just as fondly as the first phase of our family when we were dirty kids drinking water out of the backyard hose.

The best people I know are constantly learning, putting themselves humbly under the leadership of others who've gone before them. This is no indicator of weakness but rather healthy ambition. That woman is unafraid of a challenge and cares enough about her own development to ask for help and secure the outcome she wants. Learners become our most effective leaders.

It was hard to make room for my friends. But I did it.

I yearn to be a woman of more depth, but I'm not so fond of the path I'd need to follow to get there.

Be patient - let yourself unfurl one delicate leaf at a time.

Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle.

Step into the person you want to become.

Success = a series of small, consistent, loving steps.

What's working right now? Keep doing it!