Living in the light.
Growing as a person is great fun although most people probably see it a task or a chore. Or maybe that just comes down to personality types!
Personal development simply means to develop the ‘self’ – the being which resides in you, screaming to be released. It’s self-improvement, from wherever you’re at.
For some people, more than a little coaxing is required; tempting them with what they want from themselves, instead of what they have. Others need a great big push!
They’re the ones who wait until crisis hits before doing anything about their situation – or their health.
If you’re happy where you are and don’t sweat too much small stuff, you might not be in any rush to develop yourself further, but you might want to do it just for fun!
For those of you who are thinking about brushing up on, or adding new coping skills, don’t worry – you don’t have to sit any exams or be judged on anything by anyone – except yourself.
By trying out new things that you’re interested in but have never taken further, you’ll begin to push yourself. That may be joining a theatre group, taking up a new language or engaging with a healing therapy which appeals to you. It might also be that you want a challenge; maybe you want an adrenaline rush – something providing you with a peak experience; a reference point for a later (perhaps not so positive) date.
Fear of… something is what holds us back. It may be fear of failing, of succeeding – fear of humiliation or fear of change. It could be any number of fears which halt us because they have enough power to limit our experiences.
Lack of… confidence, belief, value or skills will no doubt underpin those fears – but it’s not until we take control of those thoughts, overwhelming them with ‘I can‘, that we can change anything.
Magical things can happen when you step outside of your comfort zone to start a new project or initiate something positive for yourself. Sometimes it’s just a commitment to taking the first step towards it – every time it’s about how much you want it.
My own quest is that I become fully me – every day learning more about myself; discovering my motivations, finding out what inspires or uplifts me and also what drags me down – so that I can either avoid it (if it’s possible) or at least learn to manage it better.
The plus side of that is that I give myself carte blanche to attempt anything which appeals to me, without restriction or limitation – quite possibly proving my personal power on every level; making a decision for myself, carrying it out and then choosing whether I want to do it again!
I’ve been privileged enough to work out on high-wires and zip-slides to challenge my fear of heights, don a wet-suit and go kayaking and deep-sea diving (altho’ it wasn’t so deep!) I’ve flown a glider, been white water rafting, walked on fire and glass – and I look forward to attempting a lava walk before I die!
On my journey to find myself I’ve studied a variety of religions, rituals and ceremonies – becoming a Kriya Yoga initiate in around 2006 and more recently, participating in an ayahuasca ‘trip’ to see what lay beneath the layers I hide, even from myself sometimes.
“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Paolo Coelho
Now, whether you believe that or not, matters not a jot – what really matters is that you believe you can achieve what you want – and in a spiritual context, without harming or hindering another being, in that process.
Look for fun things to do – keep your energy positive by increasing good feelings about that you’re achieving or doing to help others. Ensure you have ‘play-time’ every day – twice a day or more if you can manage it!
If you need courage to step into the next level of developing you, seek help from someone who builds confidence – someone who also builds in self-worth, self-care and self-love, by bringing out the best in you.
Enlist in things which you can enjoy
Don’t be afraid to do something new – you may not like it but you won’t have to do it again. On the other hand, you might become engrossed in something of ground-breaking importance to humanity, and you hold the key!
Reduce the stress on yourself by committing to only taking part in what you want to do – no-one can force you to do otherwise – but be aware of resistance to taking the ‘bad’ with the ‘good’… it’s easy to overlook or forget about our shadow-side, the part which doesn’t like the light of day being thrown upon it, for fear of exposure, of being seen.
With a little support, guidance and more experiences under your belt, you’ll be more than capable of dealing with the issues the shadow throws up – tackling them head on, instead of casting them back into the darkness.
Confidence Coaching on a one-to-one basis (for those who prefer not to work in groups) will be available in Glasgow from July 2012.
Skype Coaching can be arranged if distance is a problem. Contact me by email in the first instance – lesley (@) dragondynamics.co.uk
