My Growth Journey

What’re you holding onto that you need to let go of in order to grow? I’m not talking about something physical, but more so internal. For me, it’s an incident that took place during my senior year of high school. 

 

On December 26, 2019, two friends and I were driving back home late at night. As we were on a county road, the back wheel of my friend’s car hit gravel and we spun. After overcorrecting, we ended up in a field with the back end of the car 12 inches away from a telephone pole. At that moment, I was in complete shock and didn’t know what to do. I was scared, embarrassed, and at fault. Fortunately, everyone was physically okay, however the car was not. 

 

Now, there are a lot of details that we simply don’t have time for, but it’s important to realize that this incident was the start of a dark path that has challenged me in unimaginable ways. It took me 11 months to seek help. From January to November of 2020, I suffered from feelings of guilt, shame, and unworthiness. When you couple this incident with quarantine and life transitions, it’s safe to say my mental health was not in the best state. Since November, I’ve been on a journey trying to heal from this experience along with others. It’s been challenging to say the least and still not over, but I’ve learned a few things along the way. 

 

Something I’ve taken away from this journey is that you must embrace, or accept, challenges as an opportunity to grow. Challenges are inevitable, but when they arise, we have two options: grow from them or remain the same. While my journey has helped me grow in certain aspects, there are still times I find myself obsessing over what others think of me or feeling the shame of my past. The truth is, we can’t grow until we let go. 

 

Think back to the first question I asked: What’re you holding onto that you need to let go of in order to grow? Is it a relationship, a rumor, or a mistake you made? Whatever it may be, it’s time to let go of it. Once we do this, we can finally embrace challenges and grow into the individuals we truly want to be. Remember: We’re not the same person we were 5 minutes ago, let alone 5 days/months/years ago. Breath and let go of whatever is holding you back. 

 

Embracing Challenges as an Opportunity to Grow,

Kylie Schakel 

 

P.S. Life is good.