What if growth is optional?

And comfort is the cost

There are, roughly speaking, two types of people. On the one hand, there are those who live their lives the way they always have, who rarely question themselves, their choices, or their future. They do what feels familiar, what works, and they are content with that.

On the other hand, there are those who regularly question themselves, who consciously think about the life they are living, about the direction they are going, about what fits and what could be better.

And to be honest, it is a journey I fully recognise in myself.

The question that keeps coming back

Because for those who dare to ask themselves these questions, there is often one thought that keeps returning.

Am I on the right path? Am I making the right choices?

Thoughts that, at times, can inspire, but just as often create restlessness. They float around in your mind, disturb your peace, and can even make you feel uncertain about where you stand.

That is not necessarily wrong. But it is also not always needed.

What we often underestimate is how much our thoughts influence the way we behave, the way we shape our days, and ultimately, how we shape our future.

There is no growth in comfort. And no comfort in real growth.

Turning pain into fuel

My own childhood was anything but easy. Just like everyone carries their own backpack.

For years, I saw my past as something heavy, something that held me back, something that drained my energy.

Until I started to realise that this could become my strength.

That the past didn’t have to make me smaller, but could actually make me stand stronger. That I didn’t need to hide my experiences, but could use them as fuel.

Not to prove anything to anyone. But to remind myself why I keep going. Why I don’t give up.

The price of awareness

Sometimes life seems so much easier when you don’t think too much. When you are content with how things are. When you turn your head away from everything that is confronting or uncomfortable.

And yet I know, and maybe you do too, that this is not where my truth lies.

Precisely because I feel that there is more within me. That I want to learn more, grow more, discover more.

That feeling of restlessness is not your enemy.

It is a signal that you are alive.

That you are moving.

That you are not standing still.

But...

With that comes the risk of getting stuck in your own head. Overthinking. Waiting for the perfect moment.

Growth is optional, discomfort isn't

We lose so much time doubting, postponing, trying to figure everything out in our heads.

While the only way to truly discover who you are, is by doing. By moving. By taking action.

And yes, sometimes that means realising afterwards that another choice might have suited you better.

But even that is growth.

Standing still out of fear of making the wrong choice keeps you exactly where you are.

Movement will always take you further, even if you have to adjust along the way.

Are you willing to face yourself?

So maybe the question is not: What is the right choice?

Maybe the real question is: Are you willing to face yourself?

To feel what you would rather avoid. To accept what is not perfect. To let go of what no longer serves you.

And then, every single day, to keep building, step by step, towards the life that truly fits you.

Not only in your head.

But in everything you do.

You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need the courage to move before you’re ready. Because in the end, growth is optional, but becoming who you’re meant to be requires a choice.

Growth doesn’t happen overnight. It happens choice by choice, step by step. Curious how conscious choices shape your path even further? Read my blog Durf te kiezen: jouw verhaal, jouw richting.