People often think that maturity is something that you gain over the years, that by simply living long enough, you’ll end up a mature person. But it’s an achievement, one that not only takes time, of course, but effort and courage as well.

Paul Dunion compares this process of growing up to the cultivation of crops: Some seed can simply be tossed about and regardless of light, water and nutrients, this seed will prevail and come of age, he says. The rest of us resemble the seed in need of stewardship, where attention needs to be paid to weeding, watering and enriching the ground that holds us.

Dare to Grow Up offers a unique study into the psychology and culture surrounding maturity, from personal shortcomings that stunt growth to wider societal attitudes that limit the discovery of our true selves. If you are willing to open your mind to the mysteries of life and enrich your life with all that the world has to offer, you can begin to discover who you were meant to become.