A favorite comment from a Bhuz discussion a couple years back. It's a great reminder that the way forward is not always straight ahead...
"Growth is Spirallic, Not Linear"
The most common pattern found in nature and all phenomena is the spiral. We see it in every day patterns. Autumn leaves headed toward the ground in a spirallic freefall; the helical form of DNA and RNA; the rings of a seashell; exhaust smoke coming out of a car; sound waves etc. Within the movement of a spiral, there is always a return near the place of origin, but in a more evolved direction.
Our personal growth parallels this movement; we get better, we get worse, we get better, we get worse. Growth is rarely linear. No one just "gets better." Often, it's getting worse that becomes our best teacher and enables us to recover. This gives us a point of measurability toward seeing a larger picture."
Speaking of growth...
Last night in class, a student approached me and shared feelings of frustration at being "stuck". She was expressing frustration that she has been at the same level for years now, and hasn't seemed to be able to break through her limitations.
I pointed out that some time away for life and work, and some physical issues she has had to deal with, claiming "years" at a given level isn't really accurate. The more consistent we are in our practice, the more forward progress we are able to make, and every lengthy break can reset some of our progress, demanding more time to build back to where we once were. And then Celise, my student assistant that night, jumped in to offer her advice, which is really appropos of the spiralic nature of our ability to advance...
She said that when she was most frustrated with where she was (feeling "stuck"), in retrospect, she realized it was at that moment of tension and despair that the universe was preparing her for the next step. She said it wasn't long after she started feeling really indignant about her being "stuck" that everything began to unfold and she was ready to move forward. I loved that sentiment!
And in thinking about it, it's so true. It's when we start to truly identify our current limitations, when we are finally fully aware and present in our current state of being, is only then when we are best prepared to take the next steps. After all, if we aren't really able to see where we want to go, how could we possibly be ready to move in that direction? It's when all of our current barriers come into sharp focus that we are empowered to know how to break through them!
Isn't that an inspiring thought?
"Growth is Spirallic, Not Linear"
The most common pattern found in nature and all phenomena is the spiral. We see it in every day patterns. Autumn leaves headed toward the ground in a spirallic freefall; the helical form of DNA and RNA; the rings of a seashell; exhaust smoke coming out of a car; sound waves etc. Within the movement of a spiral, there is always a return near the place of origin, but in a more evolved direction.
Our personal growth parallels this movement; we get better, we get worse, we get better, we get worse. Growth is rarely linear. No one just "gets better." Often, it's getting worse that becomes our best teacher and enables us to recover. This gives us a point of measurability toward seeing a larger picture."
Speaking of growth...
Last night in class, a student approached me and shared feelings of frustration at being "stuck". She was expressing frustration that she has been at the same level for years now, and hasn't seemed to be able to break through her limitations.
I pointed out that some time away for life and work, and some physical issues she has had to deal with, claiming "years" at a given level isn't really accurate. The more consistent we are in our practice, the more forward progress we are able to make, and every lengthy break can reset some of our progress, demanding more time to build back to where we once were. And then Celise, my student assistant that night, jumped in to offer her advice, which is really appropos of the spiralic nature of our ability to advance...
She said that when she was most frustrated with where she was (feeling "stuck"), in retrospect, she realized it was at that moment of tension and despair that the universe was preparing her for the next step. She said it wasn't long after she started feeling really indignant about her being "stuck" that everything began to unfold and she was ready to move forward. I loved that sentiment!
And in thinking about it, it's so true. It's when we start to truly identify our current limitations, when we are finally fully aware and present in our current state of being, is only then when we are best prepared to take the next steps. After all, if we aren't really able to see where we want to go, how could we possibly be ready to move in that direction? It's when all of our current barriers come into sharp focus that we are empowered to know how to break through them!
Isn't that an inspiring thought?
Thanks, Carrie! I am glad you're here!! I look forward to more reading in your blog as well!
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