A while back, I made a post on Facebook talking about how I find that I’ve grown over the years judging by how I wrote. I talked about finding a note I made about 6 years ago and seeing it littered with abbreviations.
I posited that growth is a given. For now, I no longer write as such. I find it a bit distasteful, even.
A friend of mine, willing to make me sweat, asked me if it meant she who used abbreviations wasn’t grown. The comment took me aback. With her permission, I’m talking more on this.
No, it doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s not as grown or mature, as our measures of growth differ. I only adjudged myself to have grown based on a whole different yardstick—the one I use for me. I am a writer and I find it very unnerving when people who refer to themselves as such, fill up their text with such unnecessary abbreviations. It doesn’t add up for me.
I know my friend didn’t mean her rant, for we got to discuss more about it. But, I realize that most times, we do that—measure our progress with other people’s parameters— consciously or unconsciously. This is not to be.
We can only look at other people’s lives and decide to borrow a cue or two but never should we try to affirm our growth by their standards. Such acts will always leave one, unsatisfied.
Our realities differ
Our growth patterns vary
Among plants, there are annuals, biennials and perennials. The annuals finish up life in a year but not so with the perennials. And of course, their growth process would definitely differ.
So it is with us: our goals differ hence; the parameters to measure our growth by would differ too.
Therefore before you decide to question your growth based on another’s testimony ensure that both of you are on same (or near similar) path.
Measure yourself based on the goals you’ve set up for yourself. And always bearing mind that our growth patterns differ.
Stay boundless
I love you
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