A Profile of Personal Growth: Seed, Root, & Sprout

True Growth is hard work; It is both longed for and secretly dreaded, even by the most enlightened among us. Growth is a process; It spans the seasons of our lives in never-ending spurts and cycles of expansion and decay. Most of all, Growth is mysterious; It can be invisible and silent, or it can be completely raucous!

As with nearly everything, I imagine, we can learn so much about our own growth by looking to the plants:

Before the tiny, green head of a new sprout can tunnel upward into the light, a lot of work has to take place beneath the surface. First, a seed is planted. It seems dormant and unresponsive for awhile--sometimes you might not even realize that the seed is there! But after enough time germinating in the peaceful darkness, gathering sweet moisture to soften its hard shell, something starts happening. The taproot emerges, tunneling down into the earth like an anchor. This is the first sign that the seed is actually alive, but all of the motion is still invisible from the surface world. Next come the other young roots. They're so delicate as they branch out in desperate search of stability and nutrients. No visible growth could hope to occur without this burst of hidden expansion.

And then maybe, finally, when there is enough structure buried within the soil, the first green head of a sprout will emerge into the light.

Just like the seed, any growth begins with a gestation period. An idea enters our minds, a nugget of potential change burrows deep within us, and it rests there for a little while. Just because your entire life doesn't immediately change does not mean that no growth is happening. This pause between encountering something that will eventually change us and actually feeling something happening inside of us is a really special time in the growth process.
It might seem dull because we have no idea that it's even taking place, but the gestation period is the most mysterious and magical time of all. Why? Because we have absolutely no control over it. Our lower selves--our human nature--has literally no awareness or say as to which seeds will take root in our hearts. Only the Divine--God and our Higher Selves--are working during this stage.

We don't actually come into play until this next part: the interior growth of Roots. In this stage, the taproot has sprouted thanks to the work of the Divine and now we are called to start growing those delicate baby roots on our own. Maybe this looks like seeking out new information in the area of growth, internet stalking role models who exemplify what we hope to embody after this growth takes place, or maybe we are being called into intense self-work and even shadow work. Whatever it looks like, the Roots Stage is all about interior change. We're not ready to sprout yet; We still need to gain interior stability and find the nutrients that really support us.
In my experience, this stage is pretty difficult because it requires that we do a lot of difficult, personal work while we feel outwardly alone. It can be difficult to build community in this stage because we are not confident or stable enough to live out of the changes that we're making just yet. This is still a trial period. If we stop pursuing growth, the roots will shrivel up and that's the end of it (...unless the Universe steps in to reignite the process.)

But if we stick with it, the interior growth period will eventually produce enough structure to support a Sprout. This is that magical moment where all of the changes that have grown up inside of us finally, finally burst forth into the exterior world! When we can stand in our own light with confidence. When we have the ability to stand up and speak out. When we feel ready to embody the new self, big changes and all!
This time period in the Growth cycle can feel really powerful and awesome, but don't be fooled--Sprouting is a delicate time. Even the sapling that becomes the strongest tree can be blown over by a harsh gust of wind. When we first sprout, we are more susceptible to the criticism of others than we will be later on in the journey. Standing on your own two feet for the first time can be vulnerable--especially when you're wearing a new pair of heels! But don't worry, Sprouting means that we're finally out in the open in our new form, which allows us to build a supportive community of aligned souls to help shield us from even the gustiest days.

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Where do you see yourself in this plant medicine tale? Perhaps you are finally taking the New You public and you're finding your tribe after lots of interior work. Maybe you are fully entrenched in your Hermit energy, playing the wide-eyed spectator as you nurture your inner Roots of change. Or perhaps you don't feel anything happening at the moment. Whatever stage of Growth you find yourself in right now, I invite you to be grateful and have faith. As with all things worthwhile, Growth takes time.