If you planted seeds, in the middle of Winter would you expect those seeds to grow? No. So then, why are humans as a society expected to grow, just because the year changed a digit.

The man-made concept of time has declared it to be 2024, which means it’s time for gym goers to post their selfies, and financiers to exhibit unrealistic plans. The unfying trait is to cease action just a few weeks into 2024. Though growth is often measured in goals, interpersonal growth looks different in every single circumstance.

Senior, Karly Gunther, says, “To me, growth is about discovering something about yourself and becoming a better person”.

So then why? Why the need to drastically change, make a difference and then suddenly stop. Why does society and students alike, carry such shame with pausing, pivoting and reevaluating. 

There is no shame in waiting until you feel ready to adjust, there is no shame in developing into a better human being.

German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, once said, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger”. Provided this was stated during a war ridden period, this is a phrase that is often misused. Adversity in life is not always a reason for change, sometimes it is a reason to switch outlooks.

Kimberlee Falahee, Sultana High School’s college counselor explains that growing is an “individual journey”, one that students need to be open too.