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Personal growth and the attraction of opposites May 27, 2014

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in Goal Setting and Realization, Solving Problems.
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There can be times in our personal growth and development journey when confusion sets in, when the choice of which path to take becomes difficult.

We hear different and often conflicting pieces of advice, suggestions, or ideas – from others, and from our own internal voice.

This does not mean there is something wrong with the methods we are using, or the overall approach we are taking to our self-improvement efforts.

Feeling this way is normal and is a result of the attraction of perhaps equally attractive alternatives.

Having these “dilemmas” is actually what can make the self-development journey interesting, exciting and rewarding.

Mindless, inflexible adherence to one, and one-only, approach to self-actualization can be limiting, unproductive, and yes, boring.
The philosopher Eric Hoffer makes this comment:

“It is the stretched soul that makes music, and souls are stretched by the pull of opposites – opposite bents, tastes, yearnings, loyalties. Where there is no polarity – where energies flow smoothly in one direction, — there will be much doing, but no music.” (1)

(1) Eric Hoffer, Reflections on the Human Condition

Being generous with our praise and appreciation May 27, 2014

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in Gratitude.
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As we make progress with our programs of personal growth and development, we will have increased internal resources to help others – to be generous with our emotional and intellectual capital.

Just as our own self-esteem and personal/self-identity becomes built on a more solid foundation, so too can we help others in their personal journeys of fulfillment.

We all have the capacity to be generous and appreciative of others, and we all feel a sense of appreciation towards what others have done to help us at various times in our lives.

But too often we do not take the next step of telling people who have assisted us how much we appreciate what they have done for us.

It can be doubly sad to read “tributes” to people after they have died.

“A truly kind, generous, and selfless individual” and similar comments given in condolence statements are worthwhile, but how often are those sentiments expressed towards the individual while they were alive and could enjoy receiving our words of praise and appreciation?

We all need recognition; we all want to be noticed; we all want to be appreciated.

Why not tell people today how much you value them?

Now is the time when your note, phone call, or personally delivered words of praise can resonate