Growth. I am constantly thinking about growth. The internal drive to improve both myself and the world around me is an underlying current in my personal ocean.

Is this a sickness? Do I have an unhealthy relationship with contentment? Perhaps, but I believe there is something much deeper in the heart of mankind that urges us towards this goal of growth.

Growing Veggies

What is this resurgence with my generation for growing food once again? The back to the farm movement and urban gardening seems to be the norm; where my parent’s generation seemed to be striving to escape the farm.

Now we want to return. Why?

I believe it is this fascination with growth.

I've become a farmer of sorts myself. Several years ago I started an urban garden on the balcony of our L.A. apartment. It was simple and I only grew a few veggies in 5 gallon buckets, but I was able to do something that I've never experience before. I planted, nurtured, watered, fought bugs and disease, and then harvested our ‘crops’ to eat.

In short, I tangibly grew something and I was hooked.

This year we have a new urban garden in our alley garden of our downtown apartment in Oklahoma. We also were inspired to grow herbs indoors for cooking. I think the next venture will be using native plants for landscaping; these won’t be edible plants, but it will be growth and growth that is natural to our area.

I think we are getting to the heart of the matter: Growth is natural.

Growing Yourself

A tree only stops growing when it’s dead. I interpret this as no growth=death.

I’m constantly learning and consuming books (currently reading a biography on Teddy Roosevelt, a marketing book, and financial book) plus reading blogs and digital magazines. I also listen to podcasts related to a variety of topics: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Finances, Spirituality, and others.

Have you ever seen pictures of the dudes with the biggest biceps in the world? It’s odd. Freakish. Disproportionate to reality. That is how you’ll look to others if you focus only on one area of growth and neglect others areas in your life. Something will just be out of balance.

I try to keep growing in these areas:

Spiritual Financial Career Family Physical Personal Development Hobbies Social

I hate the phrase ‘balanced life’. It implies that in a given day or week, you’ll make deposits of grow in all 8 areas. Impossible! There are times when I put more focus on certain areas for short amounts of time to achieve a goal—I bet you do the same. It’s ok.

I believe we should be balanced over a lifetime, but a living a daily and weekly ‘balanced life’ is just too stressful and unrealistic. Let’s focus on a lifetime of growth, but without the freakish biceps.

Growing Others

One of the tragedies of growth that I’ve observed is people who have grown tremendously in various aspects of their life, but don’t share that growth wisdom with others. They keep it to themselves. The pond of their lives then become stagnate because the water is all dammed up and not flowing out.

Their growth was in a test tube that produced a cure for cancer that was never shared with the world. Tragic.

Growth for growths sake is meaningless. Growth that helps others grow and improve is noble and good.

The funny thing I have experienced when I've helped others grow—it is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences I've experienced in life.

A few examples of how I’ve experienced this joy by helping others grow:

understand a new concept or reality about life and God

achieve freedom with their finances

hit their business or personal goals

work though a tough relationship

reach physical and fitness goals

experience community and acceptance

Expending your energy to give life to others actually gives your life meaning, purpose, and direction.

I don’t know where this desire for growth lies. No matter if it lies in our DNA or our soul –it is present.

How will you engage growth today?