Every Tuesday, I have a “Little Chat with Shannon” live stream in the 52 Cues Community. This topic was on my mind recently.

Today I want to share a thought that resurfaced during a podcast I recorded with my friend in New York. We have a podcast together called "The Magnetic Voice," where we explore life and spirituality. My friend, opera singer Monique McDonald, helps people find and speak in their authentic voices.

So, she said something that reminded me of a concept I used to discuss with my younger college students in Memphis. It's the idea that life operates in a spiral. When you're young, or just starting out in your career, you pick a direction and start walking. As you go, you may feel like you're wandering around or even looping back where you started. But in reality, you're not. You’re always on the journey forward and outward on the spiral. You've expanded your territory. You're wiser and more accomplished.

Life has some patterns to it. If you pay attention, things you did 10 years ago may reappear, or you may find yourself in a situation in your career that carries echoes of past experiences. As you walk through life, you're not only covering familiar ground but also expanding in knowledge, aptitude, networks, and community. This is perhaps where imposter syndrome kicks in. When you say 'yes' to something new, it's easy to feel like a fraud. However, you've been given that opportunity because you have so much to draw upon. So, you say 'yes' and keep on walking.

My own “life spiral” has sometimes looked remarkably coherent and blessed. At others it has resembled a weirdly misshapen cinnamon roll, rather than a perfect circle. It's supposed to be that way. Growth is imperfect and asymmetrical—and sometimes we have to go back and repeat something in order to learn the lesson from that experience! Sometimes you find yourself back where you didn’t expect to be. What do you do then? You keep walking and realize that you're treading a new path, gaining new strengths, and expanding your territory in different ways.

Life and success and failure are all unpredictable but enriching. Whether you're in a period of extreme growth or frustration, embrace the lessons of that moment. Everything—success, failure, happiness, sadness—is meant to help us grow.

For me personally, I recently found myself in an unexpected place, feeling like I had taken a step back. But I'm now walking a new path and expanding my territory once again. The lessons, successes, and failures from before are all still part of me.

We're all growing, always, no matter what. If it’s painful, we're growing; and even when it's incredibly fun and amazing, we’re growing then, too.