There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. 

People have generally viewed personal growth as an external (外在的) result or a product that can easily be identified and measured（度量）. The worker who gets a rise, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language—all these examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts. 

By contrast (与...相反) , the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since it is a journey and not the specific signposts（路标）or landmarks along the way. The process is not the road itself, but the attitudes, feelings people have, and their caution or courage, as they meet with new experiences and unexpected difficulties. In this process, the journey never really ends；thereare always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept.

In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to face the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may "fail" at first. How do we see our ability to grow? Do we see ourselves as quick and curious? If so, we tend to take more chances and be more open to unfamiliar experiences. Do we think we're shy and indecisive? Then our sense of fear can cause us to hesitate, to move slowly and not to take a step until we know the ground is safe. Do we think we are slow to adapt (适应) change or that we're not smart enough to deal with a new challenge? Then we are likely to take a more passive（被动）role or not try at all.

These feelings of insecurity (不安全) and self-doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow. If we protect ourselves too much, then we stop growing. We become trapped（困住）inside a shell(外壳) of our own making.