The 6 "Legs" of Personal Growth
Today we are going to tell you about the metaphor of the six-legged spider. The six legs of the spider represent the six fundamental pillars of personal growth.
In this metaphor, we are all represented by small, six-legged spiders. Our six legs are responsible for supporting us and each one is equally as important as the others. These six legs are our foundation; they keep us on our toes and help us continue walking forward with enthusiasm. They also help us to advance or retreat in our personal growth process.
What does each leg represent?
First leg: Friendship.
This is one of the most important pillars in the social life of every human being. Sharing in fulfilling and sincere relationships fills us with joy and allows us to evolve on the inside. Because of this, it is important that we take care of our friendships and to also remember that our friendships take care of us.
Value your surroundings and take care not to get stuck in any toxic relationships. These will only create unnecessary emotional angst and suffering. And remember: when it comes to personal relationships, quality is much more important than quantity.
Second leg: Love.
This is the basis for all of our important actions. We look for people who we can share our love and desires with; people who we can experience real emotion with, full of authenticity and kindness.
The most important kind of love that we have is the love that we feel for ourselves. If we are in a relationship with someone we love, we must take care of them and work to understand them. In order to enjoy an intimate and healthy relationship, it is necessary to cultivate patience and good communication skills.
Third leg: Your personal self.
As we have talked about in the past, many times we will ignore our own personal needs and only concern ourselves with the needs of those around us. Don’t forget about your own needs.
How we look on the outside is a reflection of our internal state and is reflected by whether we take care of ourselves or not. Make time for yourself, do the things that you enjoy doing, don’t think too much about what the rest of the world thinks about you and dedicate at least 30 minutes per day to take part in something that makes you happy.
Always try to make a little time for yourself, you truly deserve it! If you know how to love yourself, you will know how to love those around you. In this leg, both your physical and mental health are vital. Practice a sport or spend some time outdoors, surrounded by nature. This allows you to connect with what is on the inside and will release feelings of happiness and contentment.
Fourth leg: Family.
There comes a time for all of us when we finally realize that we are not the center of the universe and how much support our parents have provided us with throughout our lives. Family is most important, take care of them. And although there may be a “black sheep” in every family tree, we are sure that even this person has been there for you in times of need.
Give your family the benefit of unconditional love and stop worrying about them. If you stop to think about all of the love you experience around you, you will begin to realize how incredibly fortunate you are, even in difficult times.
Some of the strongest love you can experience in life is the unconditional love you get from parents, siblings, grandparents, etc. It’s one of the most important legs that we normally undervalue. Don’t wait to realize what you have until it’s gone.
Fifth leg: Professional Life.
This leg carries the answer to questions related to your professional life and career: What do you like? What worries you? Are you motivated in your work?
We spend the majority of our lives developing our careers. So, are you really going to live your life doing something you don’t like? This is the type of question that will open up new doors for you.
We all deserve to live out our dreams and achieve the goals that our hearts set for us. If you can dream it, you can do it. You have exactly what you need, you just need to realize it.
Dare to be happy and don’t spend all of your time worrying. Being an adult doesn’t mean you can no longer study what interests you, on the contrary! In fact, being a bit older gives you the upper hand in achieving exactly what you set out to achieve, thanks to the experience you’ve acquired over the years.
Sixth leg: Your hobbies and spare time.
As Jose Mujica, the President of Uruguay, once wisely noted, “When you shop with money, you aren’t purchasing your items with money, but with the amount of time of your life it took to earn that money.” What about you? Have you realized yet that when we don’t take care of ourselves or take small pieces of time for enjoyment, we are only living to work?
It’s very important that we learn to enjoy our time and participate in things that we like with those we love the most. Living our lives in this way strengthens our interior growth.
Don’t just think about working and suffering. We are in this life to learn new things and enjoy all of the precious experiences that life has to offer. Yes, you should be responsible with your work and professional career choices, but don’t forget to also make yourself a priority. Enrich yourself with everything that life has to offer and take advantage of it.
We hope that this metaphor helps to fill your heart with optimism and draws a better picture to represent the aspects in our lives that support our personal growth. Even if you think that one leg needs a little more work and attention than another, don’t worry! It doesn’t mean that the rest of your “legs” need just as much work or care.
These six legs help keep us stabilized. They are all there to help us, don’t forget that! Just worry about taking care of them and giving them the love and attention they deserve.