Do You Need Change or Growth?

"It's tempting to uses change and growth in a

woolly sort of way, meaning living a better

life, but in fact, they're quite different concepts."

Ali Luke

There is a difference between the words, change and growth.  Change can happen suddenly in a positive or negative way impacting our life without invitation.  Growth takes more time an intention and usually expands us in some way.  

An unexpected event can trigger change from the outside, such as:  death; accident; loss of job; eviction.  Growth on the other hand, takes time and motivation from the inside such as:  marriage; parenthood; buying a home; or tenets of the spirit.  Change impacts from the outside suddenly and growth is an internal force accumulating over time.

Change suggests an impromptu movement that has been put upon us.  We need to make a change if we are feeling stuck, disconnected or dislike our circumstances.  Growth occurs when we extend our dreams, listen inside to our yearnings or engage in resources to increase our knowledge.  It is important to decide if we need to change or to grow, which determines the degree of action.