I Wish I was More Evolved

Most of us are in a hurry to feel better and evolve to version 2.0 or 3.0 - as quickly as possible.

Even me still apparently.

Our old programming is strong.

A few weeks ago, I said to a friend “I wish I was more evolved.” And then I realized the ridiculousness of this statement.

Child development cannot be rushed. I explained this to parents in pediatrics all the time. We don’t ask a child to crawl before they are ready or walk before they are ready. They have to build the appropriate muscle strength and create the needed neural wiring first. And this takes practice and time. When we rush and push children, it doesn’t turn out well. Each child does it all at their exact pace. Some need more support than others - think PT/OT. But even then the process can’t be rushed. There are many factors working together in a dance.

As adults, we forget about this. We drop into autopilot and the desire to be done with the self-improvement project as quickly as possible. As Shauna Shapiro says, “life is not a self-improvement project.” “Change is a direction, not a destination.”

In the rush to progress and evolve, we also often miss acknowledging where we have been and how far we have come. We focus on the GAP instead of the GAIN.

I am no longer wishing I was “more evolved.” I am appreciating that where I am today is exactly where I am supposed to be and such a huge shift from where I used to be. This mindset leaves me much more open and receptive to learning, growth, and neural rewiring. It is the secret to my wish coming true. This and ongoing mindful coaching.