All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous, unpremeditated act without benefit of experience.
~ Henry Miller
Are you ready to launch into the new year? I am! My affirmation is, “I’m Fully Alive In 2025.” Knowing that everything that is “fully alive” has a universal mandate to grow, I am extending an invitation to you to mindfully join me this year in declaring your intention to grow with me! I love metaphors and, therefore, the universe is always putting right before me whatever I need to be inspired and this morning was no exception.
As I stumbled into my kitchen pantry, craving my bowl of Granola, my foot brushed against a forgotten bag of potatoes. These spuds, neglected for weeks, had sprouted little alien-like appendages, valiantly attempting to grow despite their gloomy surroundings. Any potato enthusiast knows that these sprouts are a good sign—a sign of life, a vegetable’s way of saying, “Hey, I’m not done yet!” Even in the pitch-black of a pantry, these determined tubers were on a mission to grow. Sure, sunlight would speed up the process, but these spuds were content with their shadowy digs, quietly plotting their escape into the light beaming in under the pantry door.
And that’s where we come in. Believe it or not, we have a lot in common with these ambitious potatoes. Within each of us is a life-force that yearns to grow, even when things seem dark or uncertain. Unlike our potato pals, we like to pretend we have a say in the matter. We often wait for “ideal” conditions to make our move, preferring to know exactly where we’re “growing to.” Wouldn’t it be lovely if all our growth happened only during sunlit days, with rainbows, blue skies, green lights, butterflies, and a clear path ahead?
Alas, life’s not that considerate. Growth is inevitable, whether we like it or not. Even our darkest of times can’t stop it from having its way. The primary difference is that the potato has no choice in the matter, whereas it appears that we think we do. The universal imperative is “grow or die.” Ernest Holmes referred to It as the divine creative urge. Its unspoken message is “I have to be more tomorrow than I was yesterday.”
All living things are permeated with the life principle of expansion; energy perpetually pushing out. Our only choice is whether the growth happens consciously or unconsciously. Conscious growth stimulates conscious evolution because it responds to the light of inspiration in a proactive manner. Unconscious growth arises from pain and desperation as it responds to the darkness that surrounds us in a reactive manner. We become highly motivated when it hurts too much—or it’s too frightening to remain stagnate. The truth is, some of our most profound growth occurs during the darkest times. Potatoes don’t let a little darkness stop them, and mushrooms, well, they thrive in a pile of manure! Maybe Mother Nature is trying to tell us there is value in dark times.
THE TAKEAWAY: We don’t have to wait for perfect growing conditions in 2025—because they rarely exist. We can embrace our dark and uncertain moments this year by being teachable, and by inviting the infinite wisdom within us to reveal the lesson in each situation.
When we capture the natural momentum to grow, regardless of our motivation, our soul expands; that’s why we’re here—to evolve into the amazing beings we’re meant to be!
Remember, if the humble potato can manage it, so can we. And who knows, maybe one day, we’ll look back and realize that all those dark and challenging times were just part of the growing process—like the sprouted potato that dreams of becoming a French fry.
