Many people look for relief during times of pain, uncertainty, or change. Tools like reflection, meditation, or journaling can be helpful. But sometimes, without realizing it, they become ways to avoid discomfort rather than move through it. When we sidestep what’s difficult instead of facing it, growth can stall. Real growth doesn’t come from rising above our problems. It comes from turning toward them. We’re often encouraged to look outward for answers, signs, guidance, teachers, or practices that will tell us what to do next. And those things can be helpful. But the most important place to look has always been inward. Inside is where our beliefs live. Inside is where our values take shape. Inside are the experiences, sometimes painful, sometimes forgotten, that quietly influence how we move through the world. If we don’t take the time to understand who we are, what we stand for, and why we react the way we do, we’ll keep repeating the same cycles, just with different faces, different circumstances, different names. “We tend to repeat patterns and cycles because it is what we know. And we are aligned to those experiences.” - Candice Van Dertholen Growth doesn’t come from avoiding what’s uncomfortable. It comes from developing awareness, understanding ourselves, and choosing how we respond.
37min•Feb 4, 2026
