Grow and Give: Discovering the Path Forward

Purpose in life is an expression of three words, grow and give*. Being stuck happens when you stop growing and giving.

You learn to grow and give through action and self-reflection:

7 dangers of action without structured self-reflection:

1. Busyness. Busyness isn’t productive unless you reflect.
2. Inauthenticity. You become the victim of action when you neglect self-reflection.
3. Anxiety. You struggle to know what life means.
4. Drifting. You act without purpose and direction.
5. Burnout. Pause and reflect before you throw your hands up in despair.
6. Repetition. You repeat mistakes until you notice destructive patterns in your life.
7. Dissatisfaction. You escape dissatisfaction by first noticing and acknowledging it. You don’t fight dissatisfaction; you transform it.

Reflect so you can grow and give:

Growth, purpose, and self-reflection are hippie talk when the only thing that matters is action.

If you asked Bob, the main character in The Vagrant, about his self-reflection practice he’d look at you like a cow looks at a new gate. Bob doesn’t have time for self-reflection, he’s too busy succeeding.

Reflect before action:

1. How would you like to grow today?
2. How would you like to give today?
3. How do you want to influence people around you today?
4. Based on your answer to question #3, how will you show up today?

Reflect after action:

Use the four reflection questions I listed above for reflection after action.

Begin gently:

Begin gently if a reflection practice freaks you out.

1. Write down one intention in the morning and check yourself throughout the day.
2. Reflect on Saturday. I encourage you to reflect every day, but begin once a week if once a day gives you apoplexy.
3. Read The Vagrant. You’ll find several self-reflection practices at the end.

Tip: Design your own reflection question. The above questions are just samples.

How has self-reflection helped you grow and give?

What are some self-reflection questions that enable people to grow and give?

Still curious:

Purpose Simplified – Who Do You Want to be When You Grow Old

Simple Practices That Will Change Your Life

*Who Do You Want to be When You Grow Old