Ok...first off, let me assure you that the question does not allude in any way to the weight of the reader, but rather, a serious question I've been thinking about lately.
Are You Growing Like a Fish?
Allow me to explain. Most people believe that the size of a fish is determined by the size of the tank it's kept in. They think that by keeping a fish in a small tank of water, they'll be able to keep the fish from growing larger. This is simply not true (seriously, if you don't believe me, see for yourself)!
Given time, a fish will grow to fill its environment until it reaches its' full potential. As the fish changes in size, its' surroundings should also change in order to accommodate the fish throughout its' development. When the environment that surrounds the fish isn't adjusted to meet its' growth, the fish can begin to grow in a deformed manner. There have even been fish seen to have grown at 90 degree angles because the tank was too small for them to grow in length without bending their body! When this happens, the fish cannot swim properly and in many cases, the fish will die.
The simple cause is that the environment the fish was in was not able to allow the fish to meet its' full potential.
You know, there are many people who are just like fish. They have a lot of untapped potential and available talent, but they surround themselves with an environment that is not conducive to growth, whether it is spiritual, mental, physical, financial, ect.
This 'environment' does not have to be a physical place but is anything that keeps you from achieving your full potential in life. We can all think of someone that we know deserves better in life than what they're currently allowing themselves to have, but for some reason is not able to grow to their full potential.
When someone who has a lot of potential for personal growth allows themselves to be in a situation where their ability to grow is somehow limited, they quite growing in the way they could have (and should have) and begin to grow in a deformed way. They live in frustration knowing they deserve more and are worth more than what their current situation dictates.
The good news is, even though the prognosis is bad, the solution to it all is very simple- enlarge the environment you're in to allow you to grow to what your full potential will allow.
It sounds like a quick and easy answer and I'll admit, my life has been a blessed one and I don't have much to complain about. I have a deep relationship with God, loving family members, friendships with strong foundations, good health...needless to say, I've been given a lot of room in my life to grow.
However, in order to continue to grow, I have to change the environment that I have surrounded myself with. Sometimes this means trying new things, breaking away from comfort zones, learning new ideas and concepts while breaking bad habits and routines, making new friends and distancing myself from others who do not have my best interests at heart. Quite honestly, it can be hard to do some of those things on a daily basis and it's not a battle I always win. What I can tell you is that every ounce of effort I put forth to better myself has always been worth it and if you'll enlarge your environment to meet your potential you'll never be disappointed with the result.
So...now that you know where I'm coming from, let me ask you again...
Are You Growing Like a Fish?
