Slow Negotiation

Springtime, perhaps even more than the New Year, feels like a time to start fresh. The new, blossoming, vibrant buds on plants filling our days with color are motivation to begin working towards our growth, too.

These seasons often begin with a burst of motivation that fuels a desire for significant change. But that motivation also fizzles out.

And I think Dr. Sara Kuburic nailed why on her Instagram. She said growth is rarely a clean break from the past. It’s a slow negotiation between who we were and who we’re becoming.

This is not to deter you from following those bursts of motivation for growth. It’s to ease your confusion when the past will likely come creeping back in and try to get you to go back to your old ways. No matter how beautiful growth may be, there is often a comfort and familiarity with our old patterns. So, rarely do they go away never to be heard from again.

It’s a slow negotiation.

A continual reminder of why we’ve chosen growth. Processing, honoring, and acknowledging the process. The past served its purpose: keeping us safe, protecting us, and minimizing hurt. And it’s often through acknowledging this and appreciating what it served that it becomes much more open to negotiations and stepping aside for new.

So, as we step into the season of growth, may you embrace it. And kindly negotiate with your past when it comes up along the way to who you are becoming.