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I think of life as a tree: As a tree grows, its little green sprigs reach out to get as much of the sun as they can, to acquire greater respiration and life. The branches that don’t aggressively push themselves toward the sun become shaded over, and they eventually die and fall off.
As you grow, you may shed “leaves,” as well: friends, acquaintances, and colleagues. And you’ll build new friendships as you drop the old ones all along your journey of life. Yet you may be afraid to discard your past, and instead hold on to those around you, when you really need to let go and move on.
Those who start out “in sync”—sharing the same level of ambition or having common goals and interests—may find that they’ve diverged sometime later on. We all have plateaus in life when it’s best to stay put, just as we all have periods of intense drive and focus. It’s important to recognize when you’ve fallen out of sync with someone. If you want to expand and go further in life, you may have to leave behind some of those less ambitious people who aren’t willing to continue to grow—at least not in the direction that you desire to. It’s wise to associate with individuals you resonate with, those who are where you’d love to be.
Sometimes people let their fears block progress and imagine that they’re going to lose their best friends. But do you hang out with all the same people who went to elementary school with you? Probably not. What about high school and college buddies? Even here, I’m guessing it’s very few, if any. How about co-workers from your first job? You get the point: As you think back, you’ll see that you’ve shed many people throughout your life, so don’t be afraid to do this. It isn’t necessarily putting people down, but simply allowing yourself to grow.
If you’re having difficulty letting go of a relationship, remember that you may greatly honor yourself and the other person by allowing both of you to evolve. You don’t serve the world by shrinking, but by shining and allowing others to have their freedom—as you set yourself free by developing and becoming the person you’re truly capable of being. By doing this, you give others permission to do the same.
Be willing to let go and thrive. As long as you’re green, you’re growing, but as soon as you’re ripe, you’ll rot, so allow the Law of Growth to rule your life. Let yourself shed your leaves and sprout new ones. You may have to rake occasionally, but with every spring comes a new surge of glorious growth.
WORDS OF POWER
I associate with those who support and challenge my values perfectly—those I presently resonate with—and I shed the rest.
I gratefully let go of relationships that are lower on my priority list and that dissuade me from living my deeper purpose in life.
My friends change naturally as I grow and change.
I love to share my life with people who are inspired by my purpose.
I am like the great tree of life, forever reaching for the sun and shedding my unproductive leaves along the way.
I love spending time with people who help me grow in love.
MY WORDS OF POWER
MY REFLECTIONS
How can I use the Law of Growth today to fulfill my life’s
purpose, dreams, and objectives?
