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Image Credit : https://www.goalcast.com/2017/03/01/top-20-most-inspiring-martin-luther-king-jr-quotes/

The quote above sums up growth for me.

As souls we arrive on this Earth to grow, to experience whatever we can to achieve this. Sometimes we fall, get stuck, upset or sail through. However, if we look around there is always help, support and inspiration available. At times this help could be from the least expected sources. Nevertheless it is important to keep growing in some way, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Having grown up in a very difficult household, faced with many challenges, I quickly learned to take any opportunity I could to grow and develop myself. I also knew at a very young age I need to have my own back, as no one else was in a position to have it for me. I don’t recall it being a conscious decision, it just happened.

Maybe that was a way to escape. If I could lose myself in a project, a venture, or a goal it helped me focus on what I could achieve, rather than the adversities.

Whenever I am faced with adversity, I look at how I can grow out of it, as growth to me is very important and often it’s been quite painful. I’d like to share some of my happier and odd moments of growth.

I recall my first introduction to meditation on the Diploma for Energy Field Healing, trained by @suezange. She was teaching us to sit still and centre ourselves at our core. I had never sat still and now I had to sit still surrounded by a room full of people I hardly knew. We were only going to try it for two minutes. It seemed like forever. I started fidgeting and opening my eyes a little bit and peeping. I could only manage just over a minute! 17 years later through a lot of painful growth and practise, I am now trained to teach mediation and visualisation. And I can manage more than two minutes!! I’m grateful to have been able to focus on my spiritual growth.

When I worked at a school where @ottleyoconnor was the Interim Headteacher, I remember taking up every opportunity I could to develop professionally. Budgets were an issue and I remember being offered a whole school role for literacy and T&L as well as departmental roles. I took them all on…in the name of growth. Professionally, it was one of the best things I did. Again, it had its challenges and I was grateful for the opportunity to grow, including the coaching given to me by @ottleyocconor who guided me and helped me grow through some very distressful situations.

Last year unfortunately I had to have major surgery. It was physically, mentally and emotionally traumatising. Leading up to the surgery (which was cancelled three times) I was medically unfit to work as I could barely stand, or walk and was in intense pain. So, I decided to go online and find a course I could do in my own time, that would help me grow and develop, and make use of this time. So I decided to study a Level 3 Diploma in Health Coaching! ( Which I didn’t finish, however they gave me extended time this year to complete). By this time loved ones thought I had lost the plot!

Coming to the current situation. Since being off from work, as I come under the risk category, I have not stopped! Whilst still at work, I was completing NQT documents and reports and then planning lessons.

Sometimes when things need doing and completing, it can come in the way of the flow of our growth. So, my next venture was to clear and organise my house over the Easter holidays and the spare small room I call my office which I am pleased to say is now done. Old school folders, paperwork 10-15 years old has now been binned. There is a better flow of energy through my house and no doubt getting rid of the old will allow new growth….mentally and creatively.

In the next few days, I plan on growing though building my repertoire of films on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Surely that will help me answer some trivia questions……at some point?!

Humour aside, research has shown when we allow ourselves to stop and do things like watching films, gardening (I still need to grow my garden as well as grow in my garden!) our minds wander, and daydream. This creates space for creativity and inspiration to flow and grow.

Growth feeds the soul. We are not designed to become stagnant or stay still. Whether we grow for ourselves, or we grow by helping others. It nurtures the soul.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I’d love to hear funny or weird ways you have grown. Please share with me @amyjeetley #growth

I hope you keep growing, keep learning at whatever pace you can manage and however you can manage.

Blessings of light

Amy Jeetley

@amyjeetley

P.S. I love books and audiobooks … where I can learn and grow 🙂 I have many I could recommend so please feel free to DM me.