5 Things I Learned from Doing 100 Days of Self-Growth

What is self-growth? The pursuit to grow into a better version of yourself every single day – physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually.

In August I started a daily newsletter BIG TALK: DAILY GROWTH for people like me who are driven by the big philosophical questions in life and find small talk to be kind of a waste of time.

Here’s what I learned from the first 100 days.

1. YOU DEVELOP A STRONGER RESPECT FOR YOURSELF.

The more you respect yourself, the more you will choose things that are good for you and benefit your growth. As a consequence, the world will mirror that back to you.

When you respect yourself, you honour your thoughts and feelings, even if they seem random or confusing at times. You learn to accept them for what they are — authentically yours. More importantly, you learn how to be a conscious observer of your inner world and understand with more clarity what every thought or emotion is trying to communicate to you.

2. WHAT YOU WANT AND NEED BECOME CLEARER.

When you quiet the external noise and distractions, you can finally listen to the voice that is talking to you from within — your intuition.

When you connect to your intuition, external pressure loses its power over you. I’m talking about marketing messages, expectations from relatives, or projections from friends.

Once you stop searching for external validation, you discover what truly makes you happy and how to stay true to your authentic wants and needs.

Following your own path becomes the ultimate way of living.

3. IT BECOMES EASIER TO SAY "NO" TO OTHERS.

When you understand what disrupts the natural state of your nervous system, you become more protective of your peace.

What is peace? Having your attention entirely focused on the present moment. Being in the present moment with all of your senses and learning to enjoy the little things with more appreciation.

When you commit to self-growth, you commit to self-love. Anyone who projects conditional love or limiting beliefs onto you will interrupt your peace. Once your intuition flags that for you, it becomes much easier to say “No” to people, places, invitations and opportunities that no longer match your level of self-appreciation.

4. YOU CONNECT WITH PEOPLE ON A DEEPER LEVEL.

When you align to your authentic self, your conversations with other people will naturally improve.

Everyone in your life is a mirror of who you are. When you are honest with yourself and ready to bring your authentic self to the world, your interactions with others will become a reflection of who you are.

The more you dedicate your life to connecting with your true self on a deeper level, the more your connections and conversations with others will be a reflection of your inner growth.

5. EXCITEMENT REPLACES FEAR AND WORRY.

For many people going out of their comfort zone means facing some of their deepest fears.

When you commit to self-growth, excitement replaces fear as you understand its role in connecting you to your highest self — the future you that’s already in the relationship / job / house / city of your dreams.

Befriending fear in your quest for a fulfilling life will help you see the value in continuously saying “Yes” to the challenges that come your way.

Every day brings us a new lesson to master and learn from, so that we can become the teacher for others.