有用
There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have
generally viewed personal growth as an external (外在的) result or a product that can easily be
identified and measured．The worker who gets a rise, the student whose grades improve, the
foreigner who learns a new language—all these examples of people who have measurable results
to show for their efforts．
By contrast (对照) , the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since
it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way．The process is not the
road itself, but the attitudes, feelings people have , and their caution or courage, as they meet with
new experiences and unexpected difficulties．In this process, the journey never really ends；there
are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept．
In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to face the
unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first．How we see ourselves as we
try a new way of being is necessary for our ability to grow．Do we see ourselves as quick and
curious? If so, we tend to take more chances and be more open to unfamiliar experiences．Do we
think we re shy and indecisive? Then our sense of fear can cause us to hesitate, to move slowly,
and we think we are slow to adapt (适应) change or that we re not smart enough to deal with a
new challenge．Then we are likely to take a more passive role or not try at all．
These feelings of insecurity (不安全) and self-doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are
to change and grow．If we protect ourselves too much, then we stop growing．We become trapped
inside a shell of our own making．