Starting on a path of spiritual growth is a beautiful progress towards a greater acceptance of yourself and others. It also helps you to view the world through a lens of compassion, finding the beauty in everything around you. But, what is seldomly discussed are the losses incurred along the way. With so much of your life changing for the better, there are naturally people and habits that don’t make the journey with you. These are the losses of growth.
In order to transform your outlook on life, you must first start by making shifts within yourself. This requires you to take a good look at all of your wonderful accomplishments and strengths as well as what you perceive as your failures and faults. The best way to make this journey is to use your strengths to overcome what you want to change. It is through these changes that you will begin to lose what no longer serves you, whether that be people, hobbies, or eating habits. It is important to remember that when you begin to transition towards your most authentic form of self, what you leave behind it isn’t a loss, it is the start of growth. People, places, and pastimes are put in your life for you to learn from and when you have mastered these lessons, it is time to move on.
It is important to remember that although these losses are here for you to learn from, that does’t mean you cannot grieve for them. For instance, when that friend who has been in your life for years begins to fall out of contact, it is sad. Morn for the fall of that friendship. Honor those feelings and give thanks to the memories that you have. Don’t feel animosity towards them, look for the purpose they gave to your life and thank them.
Throughout this period of growth, some of the activities you once enjoyed may begin to become mundane. When you start to notice this happening, try new activities. Just because you once liked it, doesn’t mean this hobby has to be a part of your life forever. This is especially true for pastimes that alter your mental state like drugs and alcohol. Often during a period of spiritual growth, many people report losing interest or having adverse reactions to mind altering substances. This is because when you create changes in our thoughts and behaviors, you create new neural connections in your brain. As your brain transforms, you may find that you no longer have use for drugs and alcohol. Additionally, you may also lose interest in foods that no longer serve you such as processed foods or sugars. These foods have a very low vibration and as you continue to grow, your need of them along with drugs and alcohol may begin to dissipate.
During your time of self-growth, make sure you practice self-care and truly honor your needs. Give yourself time to get to know who you are becoming. Whereas this pattern of growth may not be physical, it can still be energetically difficult. Respect what your body is telling you it needs and make those needs a priority. All of the changes and energetic releases you are going through can be tiring. Give yourself time to adjust to these changes and be kind to yourself along the journey. Most of all, just enjoy the ride. You are becoming the most authentic version of yourself. This will take time. You will make mistakes and you will falter. Use these mishaps as learning experiences and do better the next time.