Growth is the supreme law of life. Every living thing grows - including a human being. And even when our physical development stops, we still progress and unfold at other levels, such as mental, emotional, and spiritual. We acquire new knowledge, learn new skills, and express ourselves in greater measure. The problem with most people, however, is that mostly their growth is not conscious they are forced to grow in order to find a job and make a living, to establish and to keep a family, to become an esteemed and respected member of the society, and so forth. And they are not willing to go beyond that which is necessary. When they are not pressured to become successful in some area, they easily become content with a usual routine, or even regress. At the same time they might feel meaningless of their life - failing to connect this emotional state with lack of passion for growth.

Once we realize that growth is the law, not an option, we can make conscious steps toward unfoldment and expression of our inner potential.

"If you bring forth what is within you, what you have will save you. If you do not have that within you, what you do not have within you will kill you", says Jesus in the gospel of Thomas. Unexpressed gifts and talents "kill" us by blocking our living connection with God, the Source of all life and all power. When it happens we become dry, our day-to-day existence becomes boring. Being estranged from the fullness of life and happiness, we call it "an unrealistic fantasy".

If we came to a conclusion that growth is necessary, we will easily find directions where to go and what to do by looking within. In quiet meditation, we may open ourselves to the inflow of divine ideas and the inspiration from the Spirit. We will feel divine restlessness - an urge to do new things, to explore new dimensions, to look expand our knowledge.

Of course, fear will stand on our way. At times we might become afraid of losing blessings which are already ours. We might suffer from insecurity and loneliness. But let us remind ourselves that we keep our balance while we move, not while we stand still. A fearful person will never be a winner in life's game. By avoiding a temporary discomfort, that one misses greatest benefits.

Growth implies courage to move beyond our petty fears and anxieties into a new world of adventures and discoveries.

Overcome fear by staying focused on love. Love life, and you won't be afraid to explore it. Love yourself, and you won't be afraid to unfold your potential. As you contemplate an idea of growth, always take love into the consideration.

Of course, there could be unhealthy manifestations of growth which are similar to growth of cancer cells in a human body. Some people strive to become wealthier by taking away from others. Some people wish to have more power, to become more popular or sexually attractive in order to manipulate others and to take advantage of them. But greedy, power-hungry, and obsessive individuals do not enjoy divinely ordained growth - their apparent success is but temporary. Those people are not happy, because their unloving ways betray their fear and deep-seated resentment. If they could only allow themselves to grow in love, their lives would be miraculously transformed.

Growth implies sincere love and giving of ourselves without any thought of selfish gain or return but with knowledge that the universe will amplify our efforts and brings us back divine abundance.

(to be continued)