The Practice of Perspective: Honoring Where You Are While Reaching for What's Possible

🌱 The Practice of Perspective: Honoring Where You Are While Reaching for What's Possible

What if the life you're working so hard to build is already standing on the foundation of dreams you've forgotten came true?

In this episode of The Growth Practice, Ruth explores why so many of us struggle to appreciate how far we've come while striving for what's next. Through personal reflection, psychological insight, and practical application, she unpacks the concept of hedonic adaptation, often called the "hedonic treadmill," and how our minds naturally adapt to accomplishments, milestones, and answered prayers.

Together, we'll explore how to pursue growth without losing sight of the present, why ambition and gratitude can coexist, and how shifting our perspective can help us recognize the beauty in the life we're living.

Because maybe the goal isn't to choose between gratitude and growth.

Maybe the real practice is learning how to hold both at once.

🌱 IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL EXPLORE:

✨ What hedonic adaptation is and why accomplishments often stop feeling special over time

✨ How dreams and answered prayers can quietly become expectations

✨ Why high achievers often focus more on what's next than how far they've come

✨ The difference between ambition and constantly postponing happiness

✨ How our minds adapt not only to challenges, but also to blessings

✨ Why perspective—not perfection—is the key to appreciating growth

✨ The importance of honoring your current season while still pursuing future goals

✨ How gratitude and ambition can coexist without competing

✨ The practice of asking: "What in my life right now was once just a dream?"

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We are capable. Let's grow. 🌱

DISCLAIMER

This podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only and is not intended as medical, mental health, or professional advice. The content reflects personal experiences and perspectives. Please consult a qualified professional for guidance related to your individual situation.

REFERENCES

Frederick, S., & Loewenstein, G. (1999). Hedonic adaptation. In D. Kahneman, E. Diener, & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Well-being: The foundations of hedonic psychology (pp. 302–329). Russell Sage Foundation.

Lyubomirsky, S. (2007). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. Penguin Press.

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Your support helps this space grow. Every listen and share truly matters.
Thank you for practicing growth with me.  💛🌿 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Hello, achievers. Welcome back to the Growth Practice, a space where capable minds come together. I'm Ruth, your host, and I'm so glad you're here. If you're joining us for the first time, welcome. And if you've been practicing growth alongside me for a while now, thank you for being here. I am truly grateful. Before we begin, I want to let you into this moment with me. I'm sitting on my balcony recording this episode right now. It's dark outside, the wind is moving through the trees, rain clouds are rolling in. You could probably hear the birds singing in the background. And as I sit here listening to it all, I find myself feeling incredibly grateful for this simple moment. And maybe that's exactly what today's episode is about. In the past few weeks, I've become increasingly aware of some thoughts that have been making their way into my mind. I've been doing a lot of daydreaming. Dreams about new places I might someday call home. Dreams about a future that feels a little bit out of reach. Dreams about goals that are still on the horizon for me. Dreams about the next chapter, even as I know I'm still writing this one. And don't get me wrong, dreaming is a part of who we are. It's healthy. It's often what inspires us to grow. But lately I've started asking myself, am I so busy chasing what's next that I'm missing the beauty of what's right here right now? Have I become so focused on where I'm going that I've forgotten to appreciate where I am? Have you ever felt that way too? So I sat with that question and I turned the lens inward, really taking stock of my own journey. If you had shown a snapshot of my life today to the version of me from 10 years ago, I think she would have been overwhelmed with gratitude. And it's not because my life is flawless right now. I've certainly not checked off every dream or ambition, but because so many things I once longed for, things I thought may have been out of reach, have actually come into my life. They're part of my daily routine. And the moments that I used to label as milestones, now they're just a part of the landscape. The things I once prayed for, you know those late night wishes whispered through tears and hope. Somehow over time, those late night wishes have actually turned into just quiet expectations. The wins I once celebrated with all of my heart became things that I've barely noticed. And it's easy to let that happen, isn't it? To stop noticing how far you've come and only see how much further you think you have to go. We get caught up in the cycle of always chasing, always striving, always reaching for the next goal. We convince ourselves that happiness is waiting just around the corner after the next promotion, just beyond, you know, that next big accomplishment. And yet every milestone I've ever reached eventually settled in and became my new normal. What was once extraordinary became familiar. What was once a dream became everyday life. And honestly, if I'm not careful, I will miss the miracle of what I once only dreamed about. And as I continue reflecting on this, you know, I've become curious. And I looked into why is it that so many of us fall into this pattern? Why do the things we work so hard for stop feeling special after a while? It turns out there's actually a name for this, and please forgive me if I mispronounce it. Um, but psychologists call it hedonic adaptation, sometimes referred to as the hedonic treadmill. As human beings, we are remarkably adaptable. When something new enters our lives, whether it's a promotion, a new relationship, maybe a financial milestone we met, or a fresh opportunity, we experience a surge of excitement. We notice it, we appreciate it, sometimes we celebrate it, but inevitably our minds adjust. Almost on autopilot. What once felt extraordinary becomes familiar. What once sparked excitement becomes routine. And that dream we once chased, it simply blends into the background of our days. In truth, our adaptability is a gift. It's what helps us weather storms and rebound from setbacks. It's what allows us to keep growing, learning, and moving forward. But there is a catch. Because our minds acclimate not only to challenges, but also to the beautiful things, the blessings, both the extraordinary and the everyday blessings, the opportunities that maybe once felt rare, the relationships we have, the progress we've made. And before we know it, we're standing in the middle of answered prayers while focusing almost entirely on what we don't have yet? And that realization really made me wonder how many things in my life have I stopped truly appreciating simply because they've become familiar? How many moments have I rushed past? How many victories have I minimized? How many answered prayers have I mistaken for ordinary life? And once this idea truly landed for me, I couldn't help but notice it everywhere. I found myself looking at every corner of my life, realizing just how many things I had quietly stopped appreciating, things that not long ago meant everything to me. The education I poured years of effort into earning, my nursing career built on long nights and some hopeful mornings, the opportunities I chased and finally seized, the people who stand beside me with love and unwavering support. All the experiences, whether joyful or challenging, that have shaped who I've become, even the quiet routines that give rhythm and comfort to my days. And as I kept reflecting, I realized something surprising. Many of the things I find myself longing for today are actually built on dreams and prayers I whispered years ago. The version of me from ten years ago wasn't dreaming about abundance or accolades. She was simply dreaming about having a chance. A chance to grow, a chance to build something meaningful, a chance to create a life she could be proud of. And yes, I still have goals I'm chasing and dreams I hope to bring to life, but I can also recognize that I've already journeyed farther than I sometimes give myself credit for. Not because I've reached some finish line, but because I've grown, sometimes in ways I didn't even notice. And that's the heart of it, the difference that can change everything. Growth isn't just what happens between where you are and where you want to go. Sometimes growth is found in the pause, in the moment you recognize just how far you've already traveled. So I believe we can all agree that the problem isn't ambition, it isn't having goals or dreaming about the future. In fact, I think dreaming is beautiful. Goals are powerful. Ambition keeps us moving towards something meaningful. And vision helps us create a life of meaning and alignment. I don't ever want to stop dreaming, and I hope you won't either. The problem actually arises when our focus on the future becomes so consuming that we lose sight of the present. When every accomplishment is instantly replaced by the next target, when every milestone turns into just another stepping stone instead of a moment worth savoring. When we're so focused on what's missing that we stop recognizing what's already here. Because there will always be another goal, always another dream, always another horizon waiting for us in the distance. And if we're not careful, we'll spend our entire lives chasing the next chapter without ever fully inhabiting the one we're in right now. Life isn't waiting for us somewhere down the road. It isn't waiting for us at the next milestone, it isn't hiding behind the next accomplishment. Life is unfolding right now, in this season, in this chapter, in these ordinary moments that are quietly becoming the story of our lives. So maybe the goal isn't to choose between gratitude and growth. Maybe the real practice is learning how to hold both at once, to appreciate where we are while still reaching for where we want to go. This week, I want to offer you a practice, something gentle and powerful meant to bring you back to the present. No journal required, just a moment of honest reflection. At some point, pause and ask yourself what in my life right now was once just a dream? Maybe it's something big, maybe it's a career you worked hard to build, or a relationship you've nurtured, a home you've created, a skill you never thought you'd master but did. Or maybe it's something quieter, something only you would notice, a quiet confidence you didn't always have, a difficult season you weathered and survived, a simple moment of peace that a younger you desperately needed. Whatever comes to mind, let yourself linger there. Give that memory or feeling a little space. Allow yourself to really see it, not as something ordinary or expected, but as something that once would have felt extraordinary. Because sometimes we become so focused on the distance left to travel that we forget to honor just how far we've already come. And maybe that's the practice. Not giving up on our dreams, not lowering our ambitions, not settling for less than we're capable of, but honoring the journey even as we're still living it. Appreciating the chapter we're living now, even while we're writing the next one. Before we wrap up, I want to thank you for spending this time with me today. If this episode resonated with you, I'd be so grateful if you'd subscribe to the growth practice and share this episode with someone who might need to hear it. Every share helps this community of capable minds continue to grow, and it truly means more than you know. As you move through this week, I hope you'll take a moment to look around, to notice what you've built, to recognize how far you've come, and to remember that some of the things you now consider ordinary were once only dreams. You don't have to choose between gratitude and growth. You can appreciate where you are while still reaching for where you want to go. Both can exist at the same time. Thank you for being here. And remember, I'll be practicing right alongside you. Until next time, we are capable. Let's grow.