Embracing the Unknown: Choosing Growth Over Familiarity
In our blog two weeks ago, we saw how living in the familiar can quietly trap us in stagnation. Last week, we explored why change feels threatening and how emotional intelligence helps us face that fear.
Now, we step into the heart of it all: how to move from resisting change to embracing growth—not just once, but as a way of life.
Letting Go of the Old to Make Room for the New
Growth always requires release. You can’t grasp the new if your hands are still clinging to the old. This might mean letting go of:
Limiting beliefs (“I’m not good at this.” “It’s too late for me.”)
Old roles or identities that no longer fit
Environments, routines, or even relationships that keep you stuck
Letting go can feel like losing part of yourself. But in truth, it’s shedding what no longer serves you—so you can discover who you are becoming.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” —
Expanding Your Lens of the World
A narrow lens keeps you locked in your bubble. Expanding your perspective opens the door to growth. Try:
Seeking diversity: Surround yourself with people who think, live, and believe differently from you
Practicing curiosity: Ask questions instead of making assumptions
Exploring new experiences: Read unfamiliar genres, travel (even locally), or learn new skills
These practices challenge your comfort zone gently, showing your brain that unfamiliar doesn’t mean unsafe—it can mean transformative.
Building Habits That Support Change
Lasting growth isn’t about grand leaps—it’s about small, steady steps. Some helpful practices:
Daily reflection: Ask, “What did I learn today that stretched me?”
Celebrate discomfort: Treat moments of unease as proof you’re growing
Emotional regulation: Use grounding or breathing techniques when fear arises
Support systems: Share your growth goals with a trusted friend or mentor
Each small stretch builds your confidence, teaching your nervous system that growth is survivable—and even rewarding.
Becoming Who You Were Meant to Be
Many people spend their lives circling the same emotional and behavioral patterns, mistaking motion for progress. Growth begins when you dare to break that cycle—when you stop asking, “What feels safe?” and start asking, “What will help me become who I’m meant to be?”
Spiritual growth works the same way. Throughout Scripture, God continually calls people away from the familiar into the unknown—not to harm them, but to expand them. Like , who left his homeland without knowing where he was going, we too must sometimes walk by faith, not sight.
“We live by faith, not by sight.” —
A Life of Ongoing Becoming
Change isn’t an event—it’s a lifestyle of becoming. Growth will always require risk. But on the other side of that risk lies deeper wisdom, resilience, and joy.
When you step outside the familiar, you don’t just change your circumstances. You transform who you are—and who you are becoming has no ceiling.