All my life, I’ve wondered, “Why do some people seem to wake up, while others don’t?”
It’s always seemed to me like there are those people who really love delving into the meaning and purpose of life, who ask deep questions and enjoy understanding the complexities of existence – and then those people who seem to be perfectly content with the status quo and uninterested in anything beyond that.
I like people in the first group, probably because I’m one of those.
I’m often questioning the status quo, seeing the possibility of improvement, healing and growth everywhere, and being deeply motivated by a desire to find more freedom, love and peace in my life and on our planet.
Reflecting on this “waking-up,” growth process, I drew myself a rough little doodle about the levels of evolution that I feel like I’ve been through, and continue spiraling through.
Perhaps yours looks similar, or it might inspire you to generate your own map 🙂
Regarding the question of how and when we humans wake up, I was struck recently by a quote from leadership coach, John C. Maxwell.
Here’s what he said:
“People change in four different seasons.
When they hurt enough, they have to.
When they see enough, they’re inspired to.
When they learn enough, they want to.
When they receive enough, they are able to.
Those are the four times that people change.”
It got me thinking about various pivot points in my own life – where I’ve healed pain, reached for inspiration, sought out new knowledge and information and resourced myself enough to keep learning, growing and evolving.
What have been the moments that inspired your own waking up journey?
What motivated you to get on the path of healing, learning and growth in your own life?
I’d love to know – Leave a comment below!
5 Responses
after the death of my little sister at age 42, i started asking questions of myself about how i was living my life, what was important to me now and what would matter on my death bed. i wanted to learn how to live a life of love and compassion. i began to grow without realizing it was happening which led to my divorce, and then to exploration into compassion and trust, leaving a career, traveling for a year, moving to a new state, a pandemic lock-down. since the beginning, I have added intention to the qualities of the life i live. i am so grateful for the journey.
Brilliant Yvette,
Learning as I move through this growth/evolution process that I can continue to relex and receive as opposed to continuing to bang my head against the wall in the name of growth and change.This has been a big chift for me over the years.
Also, knowing that at any moment I can be on any level of your graph. It’s that process described by Ken Wilbur in that the bigger “blob” of us is at a higher level even as part of us still trails or surges ahead. It’s a process for sure.
this really hits me. the idea of our “rough draft” self as our starting point feels feels more empowered than “this is what I got stuck with.” i am always eager to see WHAT someone else’s internal representation of their healing journey LOOKS LIKE TO FROM THE INSIDE. THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
So related to this post! I have weathered all four seasons. I continue to towards healing the hurt and sadness. I continue to learn and grow each and every day. Its definitely a journey! But one im very grateful im able to be taking…
“The Arc of the Moral Universe is Long, But it BendS TOWARD JUSTICE. m.l.k.
for me, tho there have been some very lows, aND MORE STEADY, ORDINARY, I TAKE COMFORT IN THE REALIZATION THAT I HAVE SOUGHT AND FOUND LIGHT-BEARERS ALONG THE WAY, WHO INSPIRE ME AND TEACH ME BY EXAMPLE, different WAYS OF BEING THAT ARE more loving and less judgemental and HOW I WANT TO BE, AND THE WORLD TO BE…..
This is what eventually inspires change for me.