Adulthood Happens: Personal Growth Is A Choice

In the Grown Zone, we differentiate between being an adult, and being "Grown." We recognize that most people view these terms as synonymous, but there is a significant difference between the two. All it takes to become an adult is to survive puberty; it is simply a matter of biological maturation—from infant, to toddler, to child, to tween, to teen, and then, adult. However, it is a mistake to view adulthood as the final stage of personal growth. Stopping at mere adulthood is the equivalent of arrested development, just as it would be if you stopped at any of the previous stages of maturation. The alternative is not something that just happens, but must be a conscious choice to continuously learn, grow and to increase your capacity to give and receive love throughout your lifetime. That is, to be Grown.

When pain, drama, unstable relationships, and self-destructive choices are recurrent themes of a person's life, there is a high probability that the person, regardless of their age, has not committed to personal growth. A sure sign is when a person keeps repeating the same drama (i.e. unplanned pregnancies, job firings, violent encounters, failed marriages, etc.), seeing life not as a result of their choices, but a series of things that happen or are being done to them that they have no responsibility or power to change. On the other hand, those who choose to be Grown accept and own the choices and outcomes of their lives, and proactively pursue learning and growth. They understand that "It just happened" is just code for "I made an adult choice without an agenda for Grown decision-making."

So what does a Grown decision-making agenda look like? Following are some of the key principles of the Grown Zone:

Though we are each unique, we are created with a common purpose: to grow (i.e. learn) and to love. Love produces growth, and personal growth increases your capacity to love. Anything that prevents your ability to love and grow freely is unhealthy for you. A healthy relationship is one in which each person is committed to loving, honoring, strengthening and supporting the growth of the other. This defines all healthy relationships, not just romantic ones.

Healthy relationships are about how you are being treated, not how you are being made to feel. It's about what and who supports and nourishes your capacity to love and grow, not just about what or who brings you pleasure.

Don't mistake being wanted or desired for being valued and loved. Learn the difference between being "loved" for what you look like, what you have and/or what you can do, and being loved for YOU.

You don't get what you desire or deserve in love or life; you get what you accept. For this reason, an uncompromising standard of self-love is critical to healthy relationships. Accepting responsibility for enforcing this standard is critical to your ability to not become fuquitable—vulnerable to deceit and manipulation. You teach people how to treat you by what you allow. Fail to honor, esteem and respect yourself and others will follow your lead.

All people should be required to prove worthy of access to your money, home, body and heart. That proof can only be acquired through time, investigation and observation; until then, your time and the pleasure of your company is more than enough. When seeking healthy relationships, time is always your friend; anyone who argues otherwise is not your friend. Watch, wait and learn, before committing your money, body, home or heart.

It is not your responsibility, nor is it within your power, to change, fix or control another person's behavior with your love. For example, a person not committed to fidelity on general principle, will not change for you.

Drawing clear, hard lines for what you will and will not accept is an act of love of yourself and others. Most of those who say they want to love you are not qualified to do it. It's your responsibility to set, share—and enforce—your standard. Failing to communicate that standard or allowing it to be violated more than once is to be a voluntary victim.

How you got here is not as important as what you do now that you are here. Grown folks are not limited by their past; they recognize that it is not a ceiling on their potential, but a foundation from which to grow.

They accept it—good, bad and ugly—and remain focused on making their next decision better. They own their past, but they do not let their past own them.

Your former self needs three things from you: compassion, forgiveness and acceptance; your current and future stability depends on this. There is no room for guilt, condemnation or shame in the Grown Zone. Instead of trying to fix, change or deny the past, self-love requires that you learn from it, while focusing on making your next decision better. Too often, we accept unhealthy circumstances because we believe that we can't do—or worse, we're unworthy of—better. In the Grown Zone, better is always available, because as long as we can breathe and learn, we can grow.

We will touch on the application of these principles in matters of life and love throughout this book, as we invite you to live—and love—in the Grown Zone!

To Find Healthy Love, Embrace Your Single Life

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