Welcome to Living an Inspired Life....
This blog has been created to offer some suggestions, thoughts, and reflections to help you to live an inspired life. Combining the latest ideas from the field of self-development with personal experiences and practical exercises to help you to get your energy and creativity flowing and to assist you with your own journey towards self-actualisation.
So why does self-development matter?
I believe we are born into this world perfect, whole and complete. As we grow up, we are naturally subjected to the behavioural patterns and values of our key carers - parents, grandparents, teachers etc. Whilst their intentions are well-meaning, this conditioning can divert us from becoming our true selves. In our search for approval and love, and ultimately in our need for survival, we will shape who we are to fit their expectations and standards. We may deny parts of our selves that do not match their representation of who they think we should be.
Imagine that we are born as magnificent and expansive castles, with hundreds of rooms. Each room represents an aspect of our personality. If we encounter disapproval or rejection of one of those aspects, we may close the door to that room and deny that part of us exists. Before too long we have closed so many rooms off, we are living as a two-up, two-down! All of our uniqueness and greatness is locked away behind closed doors.
Self-development is the process of unlocking the doors and reconnecting with our magnificence. It can be a scary process to open the door and peek at what lies behind. We may fear the darkest aspects of our personality, but in those rooms lies our creativity, uniqueness and most inspired selves. In the quest for true authenticity and to reconnect with who we really are, we need to find those locked rooms and have the courage to open the doors.
Take a moment now to fully consider which aspects of yourself you may be denying. One approach to this is to think about people that you hold great admiration for. What is it that they do so well, that leads you to respect them in this way? Take a piece of paper and create a list of all the qualities and behaviours that you can see in these people that you admire.
Review the list. Our representation of other people is based on the way we filter and sort information. Recognising and appreciating these qualities in another person means these aspects must also exist in you. Reading through the list, try these qualities on and see how well they fit for you. For example, if you admire "enthusiasm" in another person, say to yourself "I am enthusiastic". Do this for the whole list and notice where you have any resistance to saying I am 'x'.
Over the next few days, begin to notice any examples of you expressing these qualities. Keep a journal and in the evening, review your day for evidence. As you begin to acknowledge these aspects of your personality, you empower yourself to be more like that and in doing so, begin to unlock your true potential.
I'll leave you with the famous quote from Marianne Wilson
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.