Every day, we are reminded that our work at the Homeless Garden Project is about growth. One of our core values is, “We value the capacity of every individual for growth and renewal.” It’s a tiny word packed with meaning. Below are some thoughts about growth—from famous and less well-known thinkers. We’d like to hear from you: what does “Growth” mean to you?
Growth: The process of growing; the gradual increase of an animal or a vegetable body; the development from a seed, germ, or root, to full size or maturity; increase in size, number, frequency, strength, etc.; augmentation; advancement; production; prevalence or influence; as, the growth of trade; the growth of power; the growth of intemperance. “Idle weeds are fast in growth.”
“All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward.” -Ellen Glasgow
“People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die.” -Plato
“We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.” Virginia Satir
Thoughts about growth from HGP Participants
“HGP has been my family, income, inspiration and I am able to grow my present-day adult self to a well-rounded human being.”
“Each of us are at different stages of our lives. We vary in age, ethnicity, gender and political views. It is safe to say that the reason we are sitting in this room is because we all desire growth in some way. We may hope to grow within ourselves or help inspire personal growth in someone else. We may also simply want to grow food.”
“My awareness is haphazard at best, I tend to wear blinders but that’s because my focus is tight–goal oriented. The hardest thing for me to realize is that I don’t have to fly solo. Involving other people can ease the burden but clear communication is required that is a constant learning process or growth.”
“Achieving by doing more than what I thought I could for more than I can understand. Happiness is ultimately what we are moving toward.”
We look forward to hearing from you!
