As you continue to grow you will find that the energy that you carry with you will be more powerful, more brilliant, and more impactful. Many people will be attracted to and inspired by this energy. In my article “Our impact on the world” I wrote about those wonderful individuals that are inspired by this energy. These are the individuals that will support you when you fall short and when you succeed. These are the individuals that will inspire you as you inspire them. These are the individuals who will engage you in a symbiotic relationship.
Naturally, symbiotic relationships are ideal for personal growth. As you grow others will benefit from your growth. As others grow you benefit from their growth. With this mutually beneficial exchange you will be motivated to value and to appreciate such relationships. Over time such relationships can be a powerful source of positive energy, inspiration, and confirmation.
But what about those individuals who offer negativity instead of positivity, should we appreciate them too? This question may seem strange at first. For some the automatic response is a resounding “No!” However we must keep in mind that all relationships serve a purpose and even the negative relationships can function as confirmation that we are growing in our lives. What do I mean by this?
As you grow, your manner of thinking, acting, behaving, and relating to others will change. Many will be inspired by these changes. Many will grow with you in your process. But there are also those that may perceive such changes as negative. Such individuals will feel uncomfortable about the changes that you have made in your life. Some will become afraid believing that such changes will ultimately end the relationship that they have with you. But there is a deeper issue here that we must keep in mind.
People’s perception of you is not as important as their perception of themselves. There are times when people may become uncomfortable when they see that you have grown in a particular area of your life. As I wrote in my article “For Growth’s Sake” all forms of discomfort are symptomatic of the need for us to create a positive change in our lives. Therefore, the issue is not the perception that a person has of you or the perception that they have about your growth. The real issue is the perception that that person has about themselves in relationship to your growth.
When a person has observed growth in someone else they may look upon their own growth and become uncomfortable in realizing that they themselves have not grown to the same degree. They may feel disappointed in themselves, they may feel unhappy, and they may project their discomforts onto you. These projections can manifest in the manner in which they interact with you, the manner in which they speak about you, and the degree to which they value or devalue the growth that you have experienced. But the central issue is not you. The central issue is the manner in which they perceive themselves; a perception that may cause them to recognize that they themselves have not gone through their own process of personal growth. As a means of evading this fact such individuals may go so far as to do and say things that would discourage you from growing further. In essence they may attempt to block your continued growth.
Regardless of the actions of such individuals you only need to answer one important question. What is the lesson that this individual is here to teach me? In truth the lesson learned is that you have grown! Therefore we should be thankful for such individuals; for they are merely confirming our own growth.
Yes we must embrace those who support us. Love them much. Be grateful that they are here to bless us with wonderful energy. But may we also appreciate those that no longer support us. Recognize that they are present to confirm our growth. For this we must be eternally grateful.
“My name is Lenon Honor and I committed to birthing positive relationships, healthy families, and personal growth.”
Copyright © 2011 Lenon Honor
Great article Lenon, perfect timing!
Thanks Sean! More articles to come.
Just experienced some negativity today, from someone at a new part time gig I’m doing. This reminds me of the quote that reads: “If people are trying to bring you down. It only means you are above them”. In other words, they are trying to bring you down because you have risen above them in your growth.
Elli! Great to hear from you. Hope all is well with you. Your comment is on point. Most people who seek to discourage others from growing do so because they are unhappy with their own progressions.
Beautifully written article Lenon,and not a single spelling mistake in sight which makes a refreshing change : )
Thank you for your kind words. Many blessings to you.
A lot of people attempt to put others down to try to “cut them down to size.” But how can you cut someone “down to size” unless you had placed them on such a high pedestal in the first place? ; )
thank you lenon. i needed to read that. it can be upsetting when someone close dismisses the important work involved in personal growth. i will now try to see it in a more positive light! God bless you and your family