I recently enjoyed a conversation in which an individual shared that they were looking to experience growth in their life, and they began to inquire about what would be most helpful to add (i.e. new skills, certifications, etc.). After all, when we think of growth we usually go to addition. However, we soon realized that growth may also occur in the context of removal.
Sometimes (or oftentimes?) wanting more involves some form of removal.
Here we are in September 2021 and the good ol' USA continues to grapple with various mandates, policies, messages, etc. It's exhausting to say the least.
Imagine a cupboard in my kitchen. I was reaching way in the back for items like "mental clarity" and "emotional stability." However, there was too much shit in the way. It became clear to me that if I was going to grow in these areas, I had to remove the barriers, the clutter, the items that were no longer useful.
Personally, that looked like the following actions (which I'm ashamed to say I did nine months ago and here we are again!):
- deleting three specific shows from my podcast feed (all echo chamber political stuff)
- unsubscribing from one newsletter
And already I can tell a difference. More mental clarity, more emotional stability. Addition by subtraction. Less is more.
What about you?
What are you reaching for?
What's in the way that is no longer serving you?