Think about a seed. Like an acorn, or the pit of an avocado. When you give that seed water, what happens to it? Well, for a while, nothing, right? It just kinda sits there. Then a few days go by and it cracks ever so slightly. And then another day or so passes and you begin to see that little green root start to poke out. And the crack gets wider and wider, as the green root goes further and further in search of nutrients.
Eventually, the seed splits, revealing what’s been incubating inside: a stalk. At first the stalk is very thin and short. But as the days go by, the stalk grows taller and taller, in search of sunlight. Meanwhile that little green root has started splitting off into smaller little roots. Before you know it, there’s an entire root system growing deeper and wider. This is how growth works. It’s a slow, methodical transformation. Yet so many of us, in the pursuit of our goals, try to be someone we’re not.
We see somebody else basking in the sun and try to copy them. We put on their clothes. We apply for their job. We even try talking and acting like them. But a seed wouldn’t. A seed doesn’t rip itself out of the ground and throw itself into the sun. It doesn’t become a towering tree in a single afternoon. It stays where it is and goes through the process. So if you’re thinking about finding a new relationship, don’t dive all in on the first person who shows you a little light. Date slowly. If you’re excited to make a new recipe, you don’t have to order specialty ingredients from three countries away. Start with what’s already in your pantry.
Seeds grow by degrees, not declarations. You don’t have to replace yourself to reach for more light. You just have to choose the next true step that fits the you that exists today – and trust that, inch by inch, that’s how you become someone you’re proud to grow into.