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Growth is going to be uncomfortable, but it's necessary.
By Rayi Noormega
Last updated on Jan 01, 2024
Growing as a person requires mistakes to be made, and it's not always obvious when progress is being made. Becoming a better person takes time, and it's not something that happens overnight.
Personal growth isn't something tangible that can be physically seen, and it doesn't always feel the best. In fact, you might find yourself feeling pretty uncomfortable when this happens.
Change can make you feel uneasy, like your life doesn't have a set future, or as if you're being plagued with anxious feelings. But you must trust that this is exactly how you're supposed to feel to become who you're meant to be.
Here are 10 uncomfortable signs you're finally becoming the person you're supposed to be.
1. You do everything by yourself and feel isolated from others.
The more mature you are, the more you can handle everything by yourself and it feels like you don’t want to be anyone’s burden. You’ve even said, “I’ve got this” to those who are sincerely willing to help you.
More often than not, you feel lonely and isolated, but you feel proud of yourself for being strong and independent at the same time.
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2. You realize that you have some issues with yourself.
You know that you have issues to overcome, whether it’s related to your anxiety, mood swings, trust issues, or other issues that disturb your well-being.
But when you're becoming the person you're meant to be, you acknowledge when, how, and in what condition those issues appear and you’ll give your best efforts to overcome them.
3. You have a strong desire to cut off unnecessary relationships.
As time goes by, you will feel that you have a lot of acquaintances, but few friends. You will begin to question your relationships with other people, and will start to realize who is real and who is not, who wants to stay or who is around for ulterior reasons.
You’ll feel disappointed, guilty, and sad about losing some friends that you loved, but you’re brave enough to leave the relationships that were toxic and emotionally abused your inner self.
4. You find it difficult to trust people.
It's not only because you’re being selective about your friends, but also because you won’t easily buy people’s stories. You think long and hard before believing what anybody has to say, no matter how legit it sounds.
You’ve been disappointed a lot of times by betrayals and broken promises, and have come to learn how the real world works. But once you believe in people, you will be loyal to them and do anything to maintain that relationship.
5. You feel like your life is boring.
It’s hard for you to feel satisfied with your life; there’s always something more you would like to achieve. The same routines and work will bore you to death and you’ll be thinking, “What’s next?” which makes you want to strive for more.
Moreover, your life is feeling “boring” because you have less unnecessary drama in your life. It's something to be proud of, not something you should dwell on. Feeling like your life is "boring" is just one step in the process to becoming the person you're supposed to be.
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6. You're too familiar with the feeling of sadness.
For you, there is no sugarcoating life. There are days when you feel hopeful, but there are also times when you feel like you’re at the lowest point of your life. You're able to accept the broken hearts, failures, disappointment, and the feeling of sadness.
You acknowledge that life is not always about being happy. But even though you feel the pain, you're able to bounce back again and realize that there were lessons from everything that happened.
7. You feel like you’re running out of time.
More often than not, you feel that 24 hours in a day are not enough. You barely have enough sleep and find yourself in busy situations. It’s a struggle for you to spare time for yourself and your loved ones.
There will always be something you have to do, and sometimes you're too hard on yourself for this. But keep your head up, because this means you have a strong determination to be successful.
8. You regret the mistakes you’ve made in the past.
It’s easy to blame yourself for any mistakes you made in the past. You acknowledge that you’ve made some bad decisions, and sometimes you want everything to go back to how it used to be.
But part of becoming the person you're meant to be is realizing that regret will take you nowhere, and the only thing you can do is not repeat the same mistakes you’ve made. Consider it a learning experience.
9. You miss your childhood, family, and loved ones.
Growing up sucks and you find yourself looking back to your old life when everything was in its place. You live on your own, and being separated from your family and loved ones is not easy at all.
However, deep down inside, you don’t want to give up; you’re fully aware that all the struggles and successes will be the best gift for the people you love. And for yourself.
10. You feel lost, confused, and anxious about your future.
You appear to be bold and strong, but most of the time you feel extremely insecure about your own life. You’ve questioned yourself regarding what you really need and what your life purpose is.
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You don’t exactly know how life is supposed to be, simply because many unexpected things happen.
Despite all the confusion and fears, you can manage yourself to finish your responsibilities and work. You take things one day at a time and fully understand that everything will happen on your own time.
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Rayi Noormega is a writer whose bylines have been featured on Thought Catalog, Elite Daily, Magdalene, The Huffington Post, The Jakarta Post, among many others.
This article was originally published at Thought Catalog. Reprinted with permission from the author.