The Challenge of Expansion for Kids and Parents – Growth Isn’t Always Happy, But It Can Always Be Juicy Joyful
“I live my life in ever-widening rings.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
To live authentically in Juicy Joy is to allow ourselves to fully inhabit each new ring, even knowing that some of the rings will – by necessity – be painful ones. There are separate sets of rings for the different areas of our lives, too. I’m thrilled with the way my professional rings are widening. I’m so excited for all my Juicy Joy gigs next month, and for upcoming opportunities to speak aboard a spirituality-themed cruise, and to present Juicy Joy at the Conscious Children’s Network Conference in Sedona.
But in another area of my life, the widening rings are not as joyful. They make me want to contract more than expand. I observe my resistance to flowing into these rings, even as I understand that there’s no growth unless I surrender to them. The only way out is through.
I watch my kids navigate their ever-widening rings and it’s so hard sometimes to keep myself from attempting to manipulate and minimize the challenging ones for them. We parents sometimes think we have the power to do that. But any challenging ring we manage to skip our children through now will only show up at some later date for them to experience. Knowing that is the only thing that keeps me (mostly) in place as the watchful, ever-present, loving witness.
Our ever-widening rings will take us in and out of “happiness” many times throughout our lives, but with understanding and deep appreciation for the growth and maturation they provide, every ring can be juicy joyful.