By Linda Dagher | Staff Writer 

In the budding days of spring, as nature unravels its mysteries of color and bloom, the cast of an unfruitful season is met with the hope of growth. Nature runs free: no boundaries for its canvas, no space unreached with a potential for revival. What was once rigid, now flows like a stream unleashed. What was once dead, unseen, now flourishes with life revealed. We, a life of earth and soul combined, seem to experience our own seasons of spring within. An inspiration budding unto reality, a potential growing into fields of action, a dream, once hidden and unseen, welling up into an overflow of creativity, passion, and identity.

Such opportunities for growth are present all around us, while some of us catch on to them more easily than others, it remains essential that our ground is always prepared to nurture life, come it now or maybe a little longer down the road. 

Yet, how can we ensure that we are prepared to grasp those opportunities of growth? 

Are there some rhythms of a growth mindset we could implement, even in our dry winters, to equip our minds for spring?

While it is one thing to learn about growth from a theoretical perspective, it is much more powerful to be influenced by the stories and practical wisdom of those that have experienced it hands on. So, here are a few stories of fellow students that have cultivated their grounds and watered their soil to reach great growth throughout their stay at AUB.

One enthusiast of all things nature, music, and precious stones has found a rhythm of inspiration, creation, and growth that has led him to start and grow an online business of handmade jewelry making. Elie Abboud, a junior at AUB majoring in biology and minoring in archeology, has started his custom jewelry store in July of 2020. Captivated by the uniqueness of every stone he had collected throughout the years, he was inspired to craft stones himself into unique works of art that tell stories and hold special meanings. Hence, every piece of jewelry in his store has a specific name and cannot be replicated, an identity he has created for himself and his creations. Elie’s key to growth is simple: find something you are passionate about and pursue it. So, instead of categorizing what growth and success should look for you in the next few years at university, take the time to identify what growth truly means to you in your specific situation before running to accomplish the next milestone society has ordered for you to reach to achieve ultimate “success”. Figure out where you want to be in the next decade. 

Small business founder, podcast co-host, and a current masters student in environmental technology at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, Karina Liechti, seems to have found her own spring during her stay at AUB as a student in environmental health. Karina explains that growth, according to her, is the renewing of the mind and soul that happens through the acquisition of knowledge and experiences and is lived out more fully in the mundane than in the “grand achievements” of life. Regardless of where one is on their journey, the key to growth seems to lie in the mindset that one adopts rather than merely in the tasks they accomplish. So, how has Karina refined her lifestyle to nurture a growth mindset? The answer is simple: Cultivating rhythms of journaling and childlike wonder are key.

Journaling regularly has helped me in processing and visualizing what it truly is that I want to accomplish, says Karina. Instead of dreaming in oblivion, set aside time to focus on what it is you would like to achieve and what areas you desire to grow in. Write down a few steps you have to take in order to reach that destination, and hit the road! Being a Christian myself, Karina adds, has helped me formulate my desires into journaled prayers that inspire me to dream beyond what I think is “possible” knowing that I have a God that has purposed and will guide my journeys of growth and success. 

Karina adds that keeping the inner wonder of a child is key in achieving a growth mindset. “There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that one cannot learn if they invest the time, effort, and sometimes even money, towards.” Some ways she has translated that motto in her life was by setting a goal of reading at least 12 books a year during her stay at AUB. She also adds that a major part of learning is also unlearning ideologies and rhythms we have grown accustomed to. One of her favorite ways of doing that is by daily challenging herself to get out of her comfort zone. Her advice for you? Initiate a conversation every day with someone you would have never thought to converse with … it will help you unlearn prejudices we have acquired in our culture and will open up numerous opportunities for networking! Want some more tips to help you out on that? Check out her podcast “The Conversation Starters” to grow in intentional communication. 

Last but not least, Aya Khouzami, a Biology sophomore student at AUB has found her road for growth in the avenue of animal rescue. She founded her own rescue NGO, YARP, that focuses on aiding local Beirut animals and raising awareness against animal’s rights over social media platforms. When asked how she had found her key to growth, Aya replied that it was much simpler than she had anticipated it to be. She took it one step at a time, acknowledging all the “imperfect” stages of growth as part of the wholesome journey towards her goals. Her advice for fellow students interested in growing in their humanitarian work? Find a supportive community that will encourage, inspire, constructively criticize, and celebrate you. Working in a humanitarian setting can easily lead to burnout and stress, so surrounding yourself with valuable relationships is always a great opportunity for support and refinement. Remember to care more about the impact you have than on the roadblocks you face along the way, because when you find your captivating “why” behind the project you are embarking on, mine being to save lives, no amount of challenge can keep you from going the extra mile to achieve it. Have your “why statement” written over your desk, affirm yourself daily, surround yourself with people that share your vision and will support you … it is worth it.

While the seasons of growth might be very different for each of us, they all need intentionality and commitment to make sure the ground has had ample time and nurturing to bring forth great yield. Adapt your lifestyle to receive change … it may take some pruning and sowing, but it will definitely all be worth it when you observe the new seedlings sprout and the old trees bloom.