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The evolving process and outcome of self-realization May 13, 2014

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in Concept of personal development, Self-Esteem.
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Although self-realization in some form will probably occur as a result of seriously working on a program of self- improvement, it is not really a tangible, concrete goal we can set for ourselves.

This is because self-realization, or self-actualization is by its nature evolutionary; it is a process and a journey, a hoped for ultimate destination in our personal growth efforts.

It’s difficult to make realizing the potential of the self within us a specific goal with a target-date in our planning, as is it is embedded in the ongoing, overall process of personal growth and development.

The “doing” of personal growth is thus the “becoming” of self-actualization, or self-realization.

Eric Hoffer has an interesting view of this process.

Hoffer comments, “We acquire a sense of worth either by realizing our talents, or by keeping busy, or by identifying ourselves with something apart from us – be it a cause, a leader, a group, possessions and the like. Of the three, the path of self-realization is the most difficult.”

Similarly, self-esteem, which is a subset of self-actualization or realization, is a never-ending process in Hoffer’s view, in which the individual on their own is only stable as long as they are possessed of self-esteem; and the maintenance of self-esteem is a continuous task which taxes all of the individual’s powers and inner resources. The individual has to prove their worth and justify their existence every day.

But all of this effort it is worth it, Hoffer asserts.

And it can go much beyond the accomplishment of realizing the potential of the self.

The end result of self-realization can be outstanding achievement in Hoffer’s opinion: “The autonomous individual, striving to realize themselves and prove their worth, has created all that is great in literature, art, music, science and technology.” (1)

(1) Eric Hoffer, The Passionate State of Mind, Harper & Row, Publishers, New York, 1968

Personal growth: Having faith in our innate abilities May 9, 2014

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in Concept of personal development, Self-Esteem.
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One of the key outcomes we seek in a program of personal growth and development is that of acquiring the ability to have faith in our own capabilities and potential.

In terms of self-awareness and self-knowledge, we want to achieve greater self-confidence, and greater self-assurance regarding the creativity, originality, and validity of our own individual thought process.

And, as a large component of our work on developing this confidence, we turn to the experts on personal growth.

What do they have to say about how we should move forward?

We can, however, become over-reliant on the experts to the point where we begin to doubt our own abilities to make decisions about the strategic path we need to take in constructing a self-improvement program tailored to our individual circumstances and needs.

There is reluctance to believe we can absorb the advice of the experts, and yet have the confidence to design a self-directed growth program based on selecting the appropriate (to our personality) component elements suggested by those experts.

And so, because of these inner doubts we may choose to follow a particular program in its entirety without making the necessary adjustments our specific situation may require.

Combatting this reluctance to trust ourselves will take some serious work, because it is rooted in our inborn sense of insecurity.

Eric Hoffer has commented on this conundrum:

“We have more faith in what we imitate than in what we originate. We cannot derive a sense of absolute certitude from anything which has its roots in us. The most poignant sense of insecurity comes from standing alone; we are not alone when we imitate.” (1)

(1) Eric Hoffer, The Passionate State of Mind