7 Subtle Signs That You’re Secretly Growing
Growth often happens slowly, then all at once.
The Chinese bamboo is a great example of this. It grows to be nearly 100 feet tall — but how it gets there is what makes it interesting.
After being planted in the ground, it starts to form complex root systems. Days, weeks, months, and years go by without a sign of growth. Then suddenly, in the fifth year, everything changes: The Chinese bamboo tree breaks through the surface and grows to be 90 feet tall in the span of just six weeks.
The story of the bamboo tree reminds me that growth can be hard to see. It often occurs silently and under the surface.
The challenge is to keep recognising it even in its most subtle forms, otherwise, we may feel discouraged, lose our motivation, and stop moving forward.
If you experience any of these happening, you’re probably moving in the right direction.
1. You start embracing a beginner’s mindset
Most people are afraid to look or sound silly in public. They don’t ask the simple questions. They don’t share themselves online. I hold back that piece of art or writing. And they don’t follow their curiosity.
However, those that do often find gold on the other side.
The most successful people I know allow themselves to be wrong, make mistakes, learn, grow, and ultimately, evolve.
That all begins with a willingness to not be those things. And that starts with a beginner’s mindset.
2. You stop worrying about how you look
Growth comes at a cost: some people won’t like it. They’ll tell you to be more realistic. They might even laugh at you and say things behind your back.
Whenever this happens, it’s important to remember this is fundamentally not about you. Your growth exposes something in them: Their insecurities, their fears, their lack of ambition.
So, stop worrying about others. Some people will look and stare but that’s only because you are brave enough to be seen. Stand tall. Smile. And encourage others to do the same.
3. You start setting healthy boundaries
My old tantra teacher used to say, “How can I trust your yes if I can’t trust your no.”
His words have stayed with me ever since.
So, here are a few simple reminders to carry forward:
You don’t have to be friends with everyone.
You don’t have to say yes all the time.
You don’t have to make everyone happy.
4. The things you’re working on start to make you feel nervous
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that self-doubt never goes away, it just becomes easier to live with. If the thing you’re working on makes you nervous, it means that it means something to you. If it doesn’t evoke emotion, it might be too small or insignificant.
5. You stop complaining about things outside of your control
It took me way too long to realise that when I complain about something, I give way too much power to the thing I’m complaining about. My life changed when I took that power back.
An ancient Chinese proverb explains it perfectly:
“He who blames others has a long way to go on his journey. He who blames himself is halfway there. He who blames no one has arrived.”
My recommendation is to stop complaining about things you can’t control and start focusing on the things you can.
6. You accept that being wrong is a part of life
I used to assume that the most successful people had all the answers — that they just knew more than me.
But then I realised that everyone is winging it. And if anything, successful people don’t have better answers — they just ask better questions. They try new things, make mistakes, and continue to adapt and learn.
“The simple truth is — no great success was ever achieved without failure. It may be one epic failure. Or a series of failures — such as Edison’s 10,000 attempts to create a light bulb or Dyson’s 5,126 attempts to invent a bagless vacuum cleaner. But, whether we like it or not, failure is a necessary stepping stone to achieving our dreams.” — Forbes
7. You start cringing at yourself from six months ago
Occasionally, I flick through old blogs from 6 months ago. I often cringe at what I wrote, how I wrote it, and what I was talking about. It feels like a different me.
This used to freak me out but now it means I’ve learned, changed, developed, and grown since then. Which I like.
Circling back to the Chinese bamboo tree example at the top, a wonderful way to see how much we’ve grown is to look back at ourselves and our work from six months ago.
If you cringe at where you were, it might be that you’ve outgrown that person. That’s not a bad thing, it’s a sign of progress.
And that’s to be celebrated.
Thanks for reading :)
Have a beautiful week!