Growing in the Dark

Growing in the Dark

There’s a kind of growth that happens quietly. The kind that doesn’t announce itself. The kind that takes place while no one is clapping, watching, or even aware that anything is changing at all. As we prepare to move through new spaces, sometimes even back into familiar ones, we’re reminded how often people remember us for who we were not who we’re becoming.

We’ve all experienced it. We walk back into rooms that once held an older version of us, and suddenly we’re being seen through a lens that no longer fits. Not because people mean harm, but because growth that happens internally doesn’t always leave obvious clues as the evidence lies beneath the surface.

Regardless of how often we see someone, it doesn’t mean we truly know who they are today. Familiarity can quietly convince us that we’ve figured someone out when in reality, we haven't looked beyond the surface or the familiar which can create frustration.

So often, people struggle to accept the new thing in us because it doesn’t match the version they remember. Whether it's the introvert who now speaks, the quiet observer who now leads, or the person who stayed small that now takes up space, they have now developed, refined, and strengthened themselves in those unseen moments.

First impressions can trick us. Even long-held impressions can do the same. We start believing we know someone because we’ve known them for a long time. But growth doesn’t ask permission to evolve past our expectations. When we don’t pause to ask new questions, we risk missing who someone is becoming and that distance can be felt.

This invitation isn’t only about how we see others, but also how we see ourselves. When was the last time you tried something new? When was the last time you let yourself be curious again? Somewhere along the way, we got caught up in routine and lost our quest for exploration.

Let's become students of ourselves again. I challenge you to question, experiment, rediscover what lights you up now and what suppresses it. What peaks your interest and what do you no longer tolerate?

Growing in the dark is sacred work; it doesn't need to be announced or presented...it just is. Growing in the dark also doesn't mean that we're behind, but right on time and it all will speak for itself in due season.

If this resonates, we’re invited to keep listening, keep reflecting, and keep growing together by tuning into the KimUnity Soulutions Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Visit kimunitysoulutions.com to get your Free sample deck of the Questions & Perspectives conversation cards and stay connected with us as we keep talking about leadership and humanity within and beyond the workplace.