Spring Forth and Grow!

Despite a few false alarms, including a recent snow incident, spring has finally sprung. And therein is the illusion. I am not implying that it could snow again (although stranger things have happened). Rather, I am noting that spring starts springing way before most of us notice.
In early spring, people often comment that the trees are budding. Here is the illusion. Most trees actually bud in the dead of winter. At a glance trees may look quite dormant and nearly lifeless. On closer inspection, you will see hints of life to come in the buds. Once the days get longer and warmth returns, the buds swell – that is what we notice.
I love this time of year in the northeast – all the shades of green, the new leaves, the opening of buds and blossoms, and the steady parade of flowers. The miracles started months ago, though. In the cold starkness of winter, trees and plants were preparing to burst forth from the well of energy they were storing fueled by the sun.
I am reminded of times of personal growth that we all experience from time to time. The winter seems interminable and signs of growth seem altogether absent. Though we may be blind to at in these times, we are ripe for growth. At other times, we are in periods of personal preparation – people may wonder if we are stagnating. And then one day, we burst forth like those buds and blooms in spring time.
Nature shows us dormant times, growth spurts, blooming and blossoming, and growing despite adversity. Environmental conditions impact growth – just enough light, water, nutrients make for thriving plants and trees. The same is true for each of us. Is your environment supporting or impeding your growth?
Spring is a time to bring forth all that has been germinating inside and a time to plant seeds for harvest in the coming months. Growth, you see, is ongoing. The tempo may change, but part of living and thriving is being open to and intentional about growth. As the old adage goes, ‘When you’re green you grow; when you’re ripe you rot.”

When I conducted research on thriving in adults, I learned some important lessons. I had the honor of interviewing and getting to know people who all have lives of continued and ongoing personal growth. We can learn by example from people who are thriving in their lives.
In addition to being interviewed, each high thriver in my study also took an assessment that measures psychological well-being. Personal growth is one of the six key factors in psychologist Carol Ryff’s model of psychological wellbeing and the related assessment I used in my study. One hundred percent of the primary participants in my study scored in the top 25% for personal growth. Ryff explains that scores in the top 25% represent a high level of psychological well-bring, which is consistent with high thriving.
Here is what one high thriver said about personal growth and thriving:
"Thriving means there are lots of branches, lots of new growth… there is a sense of rootedness and strength and a sense of belonging, growth that is not inhibited either by toxins or things nibbling at it or constantly being uprooted and distracted.

There is a certain fertile environment that fits the plant. For people this means that the person has the right kind of company, the right kind of environment, the right kind of nutrition, the right kind of support, the right kind of weather to help them thrive, thriving to me seems like optimal for being the kind of creature that they are. So that would not be the same for a cactus as it was for a palm tree or a lily pad. ~ Mallory Jones, (pseudonym) Psychotherapist."

Jones suggests the importance of individuality for growth. The notion of true self is critical; each of us has our own optimal conditions - inside and out – for growth. Growing is a state of being and becoming. Be aware of what feeds you to be at your best now and as you grow into your future.

"I think a thriving adult is someone who is in a state of, you know, trying to reach their potential. I’m engaging in my life. I’m not just going along for the ride. And I think that really captures a lot of the essence of what a thriving adult would be. ~ Sean English (pseudonym) Media Executive."