Originally Posted by earllogjam

Personal growth for me only happens when I extend myself beyond my boundaries of comfort - in that space of insecurity, hopelessness, suffering, and pain, and conversely - pride, ecstacy, greatness and the sublime. It only happens when you take risks, go beyond who you think you are and act against the sounding board of the world to discover your true self, what you are made of, and your limits today. It is sometimes hard to see yourself as you really are, and the world for what it truly is as the truth is always filtered through your ego.
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Growth is also not something that you consciously set out to achieve but it is a by-product of living deliberately.

Originally Posted by wldhoney

Basically, it's being open minded, being able to defend your value system while changing it and growing as you learn more about the world around you and the people in it, that is necessary to personal growth.