At Strive we see growth as a journey fuelled by courage, strengthened by community, and measured by the ripples we leave in others. This was the idea at the heart of our recent Local Gatherings, and a few weeks later, our Global Connect Call, which brought members back together to reflect on what had stayed with them.

As Mama Strive, Lara Milward, reminded us, growth is about stepping outside our comfort zone together and that through conversation, vulnerability and shared experience we often discover parts of ourselves we'd never have found alone.

Voluntās describes personal growth as "the lifelong process of becoming more conscious of who we are, more intentional in how we live, and more capable of realising our potential in service of something beyond ourselves" and that definition came to life in the stories our community shared.

The incredible, Dale Noelle Weil, reflected on the kayaking gathering she hosted on New York's Hudson River and how it became a reminder that growth happens when people feel safe enough to open up. As Lara reflected afterwards, "growth happened right there at the table."

Craig Curran was kind enough to share stories of his own personal growth, post Verbier, and his efforts to become more present. Adopting more considered breathing practices, Craig now pauses before walking through his front door. "My family get a different version of me because of it.” In minutes, he moves from his solving problems, flow-state, to genuinely connecting with the people he loves.

Discussions took place about the challenge of taking growth mindsets home, the tensions of returning to environments that don't always encourage growth, and that perhaps that growth means bringing what we've learned back into those relationships with greater compassion and love. By the end of the Global Connect Call, themes emerged around growth showing itself when we choose to pause before reacting, by being more present, and by helping others see what's possible.

As Lara reminded us, every gathering ends with the same question: What ripple do you want to put into the world? Because the real measure of growth extends on what happens while we're together and continues long after we leave.