groWTH

From "Falling into the Arms of God: Meditations with Teresa of Avila" by Megan Don

Virtue is not a word that rolls easily off the contemporary tongue. For many it is associated with morality or uprightness; however, it has also been defined as "inherent power" (Collins English Dictionary). For Teresa the greatest virtue was the growth of our soul; by attending to this growth, she believed, we can discover the power that we are all born with. Be vigilant, she warned. Watch closely as you grow into yourself spiritually, and allow for change and growth to occur both in your friends and in you. Too often we want people to stay the same to ensure our own comfort. Likewise, our growth may not always be welcomed even by those closest to us.

I like the idea of growth being a virtue. We want virtues, right? So I like the idea of growth being something that we want, that we value, want to uphold, and strive to implement in our own lives. Lately I've been realizing the value of growth, the importance of it, the blessing of it. I find growth in seeking new experiences, in setting goals and reaching them, in reading, in learning, in figuring out how to better yourself, in furthering and/or using your strengths, in nurturing yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

Teresa of Avila talks about the "growth of our soul." I'm not sure if the growth I've experienced is the growth of my soul, in particular, but its the growth of something for sure. What is a soul anyway? I suppose that's a question many have debated, perhaps it's related to the dualism of mind and body stuff I learned about in philosophy. But, hmmm, soul. My deepest inner parts? The spirit of life that keeps my hands typing and lungs breathing? The invisible mechanism that brings joy? My heart? My head? I think it's a combination of all these things wrapped up in one big mystery.

I guess Teresa also believed that this virtue/ inherent power of growth is the greatest power individuals have. I would agree from experience. I think that when your are learning and expanding and growing you are alive in an indescribable way. You are more alert, more interested, more confident.

Let me run with some implications of this idea.

So if one's greatest power is this virtue of growth of your soul, then one's greatest power, (and I might add) sense of control and contentment, does not come from money, looks, or any materials in themselves. It means we have a power that no one can take away from us in order to deplete our power or to increase their own supply. I suppose it would require a little bit of "love of self" as you would need to put a little focus on bettering yourself--but this would be so you could be at your best in order to, perhaps, eventually go on to help others and make a bigger and better contribution to the world.

Anyways I want to tackle another dimension of this growth thing. One friend in particular showed me the beauty of bettering yourself and I think it is the best gift you can give someone. I believe I am greatly indebted to her. But this leads to something else that Teresa touches on: the problems in relationships that go along with the growing process. She seems to see that we are all in relationships and everything that happens to us will affect others because it affects us, one half of the relationship. It seems we must leave room for each other to grow, to not grow, or to grow in a different direction or pace than us. And to love them through it all. This relationship aspect is complicated, but something I really want to explore more.

In the spirit of growth I will close with future questions to be thought about/ answered

• Perhaps I feel so close to someone because we are so similar, but as we grow/change, we may not be so similar. Would it/ Should it affect our closeness?
• Can growing as an individual in a relationship somehow be a joint project? Like pushing one another in their individual growth? What would that look like?
• The power of virtue may be the strongest power an individual can have, is it the strongest power a group of individuals could have?
• How can we keep from being judgemental of others' growth or seeming lack of it? How can we keep from being pushy even though we so very much want the best for another (or what we think the best for them is)?
• How can we harness this best part of ourselves, the power that comes from growth, and apply it to everyday life?