I appreciate John C. Maxwell’s clearly laid out (and apparently invaluable) 15 laws of growth. I definitely trust him though because he’s got a lot of life experience that I don’t have and I am sure they really are invaluable laws. However, something that I did not address in class was the religious aspect of the book. I know it is not an appropriate topic to bring up and critique in our particular class and henceforth it will appear in this here reflection! It does not make me angry that he is religious and I do not disregard belief in any and every God. I too have enjoyed religious schooling from kindergarten to senior year of high school. But I have to ask does spirituality in relation to the laws affect the outcome or efficiency of the growth? He talks about the Law of the Mirror he says “Many people don’t believe in themselves. They don’t see the possibilities that God put in them (35).” I’m just trying to think back to the very beginning of time. Maybe there was a God and maybe there wasn’t, but what keeps people believing in a higher being or a greater power. Humans in general tend to think of themselves as the center of the universe. I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just kind of a fact (look at museums, look at libraries, look at cities, look at how much we value human intelligence). It is just surprising to me that people need and cling to the hope of a greater being to guide them and give them stability. Can we not handle the idea of just growing and failing all on our own? Does there need to be a greater purpose to our growth? These possibilities that we have, does it help us reach them if we believe they are already “given” to us? Or does that actually keep us from tapping our full potential? (Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate it is that we are powerful beyond measure) Maxwell’s talks about his book are all at spirituality conferences. I mean, I really hope there is some greater being, that would be great, but it is just such an unignorable pattern in history. Grow so that you can fulfill your plan or your destiny. You are important and you have meaning because you were created by God, so grow. Even the opposite applies, we fail because God created us with flaws and we fail him. Can you even imagine? Growing without a purpose? Imagine it’s just you on Earth. No God. No Humans. Just You. You have no reason to grow, no reason to fail. It is completely up to you what you decide to do. Either way it doesn’t matter. So, based off of this very depressing scenario, what is the point of growth John Maxwell? Not why are your laws invaluable but why is growth invaluable? Can you answer the question outside of the context of your spirituality? Can you define growth? I’m not looking for “humans should naturally want to do better”. Should they? Or is that mindset just culturally influenced? Where does this need for growth come from? Does everyone have it? What if you’re existing without it? Does that make you some kind of psychopath in America’s culture of constant self-improvement? Especially you Michael. You value growth more than anyone I’ve met. What if that was never taught to you to be something valuable? Would you intrinsically be the same? Can growth be a bad thing (in terms of knowing too much and not leaving the right amount of mystery in the world, or growth in terms of expansion)? I guess if our life purpose is the journey rather than the goal, then growth would be the reason for living right? According to Maxwell. (On a side note: I do believe that all humans have the intrinsic ability and usually desire to grow and improve, but these are also questions that I don’t have the answer to and I’m just curious.)