Anyone who has made personal growth a priority knows that once you’re on that journey, you’re on it for life. Which is fine, right? We are always growing and changing; there’s always more to learn. It’s never-ending. However, at what point do we ever stop and just rest in how far we’ve come? When do we allow ourselves to just be for a minute instead of always looking at where to focus our energy next?

It can become overwhelming to feel like you’re never done, never satisfied. To feel like no matter what you do there’s always more waiting. Sometimes it’s defeating and exhausting. When you’re forced to take baby steps instead of leaps, it can be hard to give ourselves the necessary grace to move slower and with intention. When you’re taking all the steps you can and not seeing anything come to fruition, it can be deflating. To just sit in whatever comes for as long as it takes before making another move forward can feel daunting.

Lately, I’ve been really struggling with the expectations I put on myself with this. I always want to be better, to improve, to grow. But sometimes life has other plans. Sometimes it throws obstacles in our path that feel insurmountable for a time, and asks us to just be for a minute. And I see it, even more, I feel it, every time I try to do something right now. I feel resistance inside me. It feels so hard. Manifesting, which used to come so easily. Visualizing, which used to be second nature- it all just feels hard. The exact opposite of how it should feel. I had to quit trying so damn hard!

I was so frustrated by it that I would just ruminate, turning it all over in my head constantly until I finally had to go within, ask the Universe what I’m supposed to do, and just listen. I was told, “Do nothing and just be.” That’s how I knew it wasn’t me talking- I would never tell myself to do nothing lol. Hearing that pissed me off to no end. I’m a doer. I wanted tangible action, direction, clarity. But the only clarity I was going to get was the clear message that I wasn’t going to get any. And that, I guess, is my current lesson. To not get so caught up in growth for growth’s sake that I lose my way and forget to just bask in the beauty that is my life as it is right now. Are there things I’d like to work on and improve? Of course, but that doesn’t take away from all that I have to be grateful for in this moment.

So I’ve been taking myself back into nature to find that space where my thoughts aren’t necessary. Sometimes I reflect on things. Sometimes I work through some of the hard shit I’m going through. But most of the time, I engage in the walking meditation that hiking provides where I can push my body when needed, control my breathing, and let my mind be clear and quiet, so that the song of the wild is all I hear. These hikes have brought more bliss and peace into my life than I’ve felt in a long time. I hadn’t realized how out of touch I had become with nature and even more with myself. I’ve always prided myself on my self-awareness and connection, but somewhere along the way I guess I felt like I didn’t need to keep working at it, and it cost me.

Sometimes the only growth we need to engage in is going back to the basics. Sit in stillness. Get outside. Breathe in and out. Practice gratitude. Let the rest take care of itself for a while.

Do nothing and just be.