Olawunmi Adegoke: This Is What Growth Truly Means

Have you been to a place where you constantly struggle with a lot of beliefs you have had in the past? Do you consider yourself asking questions on why things happen in a certain way? Or have you come to even question yourself on why your outlook on things has changed lately?

If you’ve answered yes to all these, then it just might mean you have outgrown some things.

Recently, I realised that what growth truly means is not only about the physical increase in size, self accomplishments, or even money in the bank account, but also the way you see and interpret things logically.

A friend told me recently that she never believed she could be wrong on a subject matter she considered herself an expert at, until a young nephew challenged her to own up to it, after they had a discussion. It never crossed her mind that she could be in a position where she’d be corrected, simply because she always thought that her ways were always right.

A lot of us might also have this kind of mindset: from proving a point, to wanting others to know how much knowledge we have.

What growth truly means is that you are ready to let go of wrong mindsets and embrace things that will make you a better person.

Here are some of the mindsets we need to do away with, if we truly want to grow:

Being right all the time

Have you heard of perfectionists before? These set of people always want things to be done in a certain way – their own way. Whilst this could also encourage better excellence, more often than not, it doesn’t get the job done and often breaks relationships. Learning that everyone does not run/work at your pace will make you create more allowance for others. Although this doesn’t mean we should encourage mediocrity, sometimes we need to cut others some slack and allow them to breathe!

Having an answer to everything 

I have been on this table for too long and I know that society has painted it to us that being smart means that you always have the answer to every question. This kind of mindset and mentality is dangerous because you sure don’t. You aren’t google! There are times when the answer doesn’t lie with you, so you might need to reach out to others for help. No man is an island of knowledge and others deserve to air their own opinions too.

You must always win

One of the shocking things I have learned lately is that failure is a great resource. For too long, failure has been painted to us as the worst thing that can ever happen to a man. But flipping this statement over, I have come to learn that failure could actually be the best thing that can propel you to consider other ways of doing things. The mindset that you must always win is a false one. The truth about life is that sometimes you win, other times, you lose. What matters most is how you channel the outcomes into being a better person.

In conclusion, growing up presents us with not just options to choose, but also to challenge the ideologies we have built up in the past. So when you find yourself asking the above questions, just believe that it is normal and it only means you want to grow and outgrow certain things. So open up, shake those tables, break self-limiting mindsets, and live your best life.