Personal growth: Desiring what we have not yet earned April 11, 2018
Posted by Dennis Mellersh in personal development ideas.Tags: Confucius, David Hinton, inspiration, life, personal development ideas, philosophy, psychology, self-actualization, The Four Chinese Classics, writing
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If we have not yet been promoted to the job we want, if we can’t seem to reach the goal we are working on, if our life in general is not all that we want it to be, if we are generally dissatisfied with the progress we are making in our personal growth goals, Confucius reminds us that perhaps we need to invest more effort into what we seek.
Confucius in the Analects:
“The Master said, ‘Don’t worry if you have no position: worry about making yourself worthy of one. Don’t worry if you aren’t known and admired: devote yourself to a life that deserves admiration.’” (1)
(1) As translated by David Hinton in his book, The Four Chinese Classics
Personal growth potential: The importance of timing October 9, 2017
Posted by Dennis Mellersh in Goal Setting and Realization.Tags: David Hinton, life, personal development planning, personal development potential, personal growth, philosophy, psychology, self-actualization, writing
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In our efforts to achieve our self-actualization goals, success in some instances might owe as much to external factors, for example, timing, as to the internal work we do, such as our acquisition of knowledge and technique.
Consider the following from the works of the ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius (371-289 BCE) in which he cites a saying of the Ch’i people:
Though you may have deep wisdom
seizing an opportunity works better.
Though you may have a fine hoe,
awaiting the season works better. (1)
Four brief lines of personal development wisdom that could not be improved upon with explanatory words.
(1) Translated by David Hinton and quoted in his book The Four Chinese Classics. This passage is from Hinton’s translation of the works of Mencius
—Dennis Mellersh
Personal Development Ideas 