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Personal growth: Doing what we want to do with our lives April 15, 2018

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in personal development ideas.
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There are advantages in resisting our impulses for instant gratification and opting instead for greater satisfaction at a later date, presumably because the eventual reward will be greater than the satisfaction we gain by giving in to current temptation.

Enjoy one cookie  now, or several cookies later.

Banks and other investment institutions tell us to save now – forgo that custom latte every morning, and other personal indulgences, put away the money not spent, and retire later in life with plenty of financial assets to really enjoy ourselves.

It’s sound advice, but…

In terms of personal development, if carried too far, this idea of sacrificing now, can rob us of genuine fulfillment as we move through the unfolding stages of our life.

At the extreme end of the choices scale, we might, for example, stick with a job we don’t like, working at something that doesn’t excite us in the slightest, instead of trying something new that we really care about.

Maybe sometimes, unless there are extenuating circumstances,  we need to be a little more adventurous.

And, speaking of what people can do with their lives…

There is an interesting series on the PBS NewsHour broadcast and website titled, Brief But Spectacular.

It consists of brief vignettes, usually just a little over three minutes in length, of various things people are doing that they are passionate about.

Here’s the link:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/brief/

 

Personal growth: Does self-help theory ignore societal problems? April 14, 2018

Posted by Dennis Mellersh in personal development ideas.
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Some recent criticism of the self-help movement and theory suggests that there is too much focus on the individual and the concept of the power of self-actualization and not enough attention being paid to some of society’s systemic problems.

This criticism could be based on a misconception or over-simplification of what is actually involved in what the responsible and ethical self-help movement is advocating.

Accountable self-help ideas and theory recognize that a critical component of effective personal growth is the development of empathy for the feelings, circumstances, and viewpoints of others.

Ethical self-help is not based on the selfish concept or idea of helping only ourselves, and leaving others to fight their own battles by themselves.

But, effective self-help theory does recognize that we can do little to help others if we do not grow into fully balanced and mature individuals with both inward and outward directed vision.

Legitimate self-help and personal development programs assist in achieving that maturity and outlook.

Dennis Mellersh