When nothing seems to work - the growth phases

You know when life seems to be on pause? When somehow nothing goes on and everything feels stuck and stagnant? There have always been phases in my life when this has been the case. It's human and happens to everyone from time to time. However, it's very interesting to take a closer look at these phases and see what's actually behind them.

Life is one big up and down. Sometimes you're floating on cloud nine and everything is flowing and running smoothly. Things seem to fall into place with ease and we feel happy and balanced. And then there are the phases when things just don't seem to move on and you have the feeling that nothing is moving forward and every day seems to repeat itself somehow. There are no new events, nothing special happens and life almost feels boring. Or even better, everything is blocked and you are constantly faced with unpleasant situations, such as missing parcels, problems with payments and shopping or even conflicts at work and in relationships. But why is this always the case? What is actually happening?

I believe that everything in the world is subject to a natural rhythm. It often seems arbitrary to us when things don't go our way, but I firmly believe that everything serves us to develop further. And just like in nature, there are always phases in which we grow and phases in which we rest. You can see this very clearly in the growth of a plant. There are seeds that lie underground for decades and then, under the right conditions, they suddenly start to sprout and a young plant emerges. This plant grows as long as it is nourished and gets what it needs to grow. Later, this plant also develops buds. For a long time, it doesn't seem to bud and nothing seems to develop. And then, all of a sudden, it opens and shows its most beautiful flower. The flowering period is often the shortest part of the entire development. There are even flowers that only open for one night, such as the Queen of the Night. However, the growth of the flower has quietly begun long before this and the flower itself is the culmination of the process. It is also not the sole aim of development, but is an important part of being able to reproduce and maintain the species later on. So each of the phases has its justification and everything together makes up the whole life of a plant.

It is the same in our lives. We often don't know exactly which phase we are in and we also don't know when our bud will open - the phase that we would consider to be a high and a visible success. The phase in which we blossom. Most of the time, we are not even aware that we are in any phase at all and we usually don't even believe that there will be a blossom at all - that we will achieve our goals and dreams. We are so preoccupied with everyday life and its little things. Yet this is simply a law of nature and there is therefore no reason to doubt: the bud will appear and the flower will blossom if we take good care of ourselves. And again, it is only part of the whole journey we will take and not the only goal. It is an important building block and a phase of visibility and enjoyment, but it is not worth more than the other phases.

This means that it is quite normal for there to be phases in which everything seems to stagnate or is even blocked. In these phases, life teaches us to practice patience and to move forward with confidence. Especially shortly before reaching a goal, final tasks arise once again to prepare us for the next experience. I have often observed that things get really uncomfortable just when we are about to move on to the next level. Life gives us one last push where we can mobilize our strength once again. Sometimes we also fall ill just then, during such a “growth spurt”. The body wants to take the time to process what it has learned in peace and sort it out internally. It wants to seal off external influences and encourage us to go inside ourselves and let everything sink in. Afterwards, we emerge from these phases stronger and having grown and are able to continue life as a “new”, grown self.

The best thing we can do is to stay confident and just keep moving forward. We should not allow ourselves to be unsettled by what happens, but simply do one thing at a time, knowing that this is part of life and that everything serves our growth. The less we resist these phases, the easier it will be for us to get through the more unpleasant, albeit important, phases. It's about learning to ride the waves of life, with all its ups and downs. And I have the impression that the more intensely we want to live, the more life supports you in your growth, with everything that goes with it.

Being aware that there are these natural phases can help us to take it easier. After every down there is always an up. And after every up comes a down. Overall, however, we continue to develop and become more experienced, more confident and stronger along the way. I would like to encourage you to accept life as it is and to see these waves as a natural process, in the firm knowledge that, overall, things are moving more and more in the direction that is meant for you and that will bring you closer to yourself. The buds will open again and again and then close again. On the journey, you will get to know yourself better and better and everything will gradually become more and more suitable for you. Life is fascinating, don't you think?

Do you notice these phases? Are you currently in a stagnation phase or in a growth spurt? Can you ride the waves of life with ease? What can you do to make it easier? How have you developed over the last few years? And who do you want to become in the future?