Replacing Anchors With Roots Catapults Growth
Replacing Anchors With Roots Catapults Growth
Dr. Martha’s Monday Morning Motivational
Monday, August 15, 2011
Change is hard, period, and sometimes change is really, really hard. Changes means growth, and even though growth is good; growth hurts because it stretches you out of your comfort zone and usually means you have to let go. Whether you are letting go of a past story, relationship, friendship, memory, outcome to a scenario, someone, or something, it’s not easy. It’s hard when you realize that you have come to a point in your life where you have grown up and are in turn are growing on. More so than not we anchor ourselves in the past or present and in turn inhibit and resist growth. When we come to the realization that a situation, someone, or something has become an anchor, which is holding us back, the time comes to make a cognitive and emotional switch, where the anchor is released and replaced with a root, which will allow growth.
There is a big difference between anchors and roots. Anchors are meant to connect a vessel to the floor of a body of water to prevent it from drifting. In our lives anchors do the same thing keeping us from drifting therefore keeping us idle. In an idle state we are unable to grow because movement is life. Much like an anchor is an integral part of a vessel, so is a root connecting a plant it to its soil bed and providing nutrients, food, and water. The root is a plant’s strength in storms with through tumultuous winds and serves as a preventative mechanism against erosion; a strong root allows for growth, provides support, and helps sustain life. Therefore an anchor hinders growth by mechanistically tying us down and a root is a vitalistic connection allowing evolution from past and present to future.
Inevitably the time comes when you have to decide if you are ready to catapult into the future and evolve into an even better version of yourself or if remaining in your present sate, which no longer serves you is a better option because it is safe and feels good? It boils down to the ever-present battle of feeling versus function. There is a huge difference between feeling and function. Feeling comes from the emotion that is tied to a set of circumstances, an individual, or something. Often a feeling will hold us back and keep us from functioning at an optimal level. These feelings vary in degree and can be any emotion on the spectrum from happy, sad, love, anger, fear, numb or another. Whether positive or negative it is necessary to assess whether or not the circumstances or individual that is causing the emotion is also allowing optimal function. When a situation impairs our function it is time to replace the anchor with a root and let growth occur; as you catapult into your next evolution the root gives you the sense of security necessary to persevere in faith, leaving behind your past and present and soaring into the future. Knowing that although unknown, what’s next is a necessary progression.
Only you can decide when the time is right to allow a necessary shift to occur by releasing the anchor and replacing it with a root. The root then becomes a reminder of where you have been, holds the memories that warm your heart and feeds your soul, and supports your continual growth. The release of the anchor instantly catapults you and “where you are” is now a “where you were”. Enjoy the journey and remember everything is a stepping-stone, until it becomes a stopping point, which in hindsight was always a stepping-stone.
Love. Laugh. Adjust.
Dr. Martha Nessler, innate Girl