I have long been drawn to the concepts of personal development and wellness; probably because I spent the formative years of my life squandering many great opportunities that I had been given. As a result of the many times that I failed as a younger man, I have come to believe that there are two sources of pain in our lives: the pain of discipline and the pain of regret.
In retrospect, I admit that I was fortunate to be exposed to and pursued by great teachers, mentors and guides. I am not sure what they sensed in me that warranted their investment in my development, but I have since leveraged their teaching and reshaped critical aspects of my life because of their influence.
For the record, I have no formal training in Psychology, Theology, or Human Behavior; most of what I know and write about is based solely upon my life experience. The observations and conclusions that I draw are derived from the hidden curricula of life. Acquiring knowledge for knowledge’s sake has never been my primary focus. The way that I see it, the internet and libraries are chock-full of knowledge. Instead, what I crave is the effective application of knowledge. I want results for my effort and I believe that the same is true for most individuals on planet Earth.
I want results for my effort and I believe that the same is true for most individuals on planet Earth.
I am willing to admit that I can become frustrated. My life is prone to taking on a pace of its own. I am naturally a Type A personality with a high driving internal motor. This sometimes leads to my over-committing and to the exhaustion of my limited personal resources of time and energy. When I am not careful and deliberate, my wakeful hours get away from me, leaving me feeling disillusioned. Some days, before I get out of bed I am wondering…how will I do it all? This is typically an indicator that I have lost the plot to my life. Like countless others, I have over-subscribed to a “more is better” mentality. It is only when I thoughtfully unplug from this faulty belief system that my life becomes an exclamation rather than a mere explanation.
In my early twenties, I had grown more discontented with the reality of my life. I had come to the profound realization that being consumed by my to-do list should not be the focus of my life. The more responsibility that I assumed and the more accomplished that I became, the more loudly my soul grumbled, unfulfilled in its earnest search for something much more meaningful. I now know that this feeling is not unique to me. There are so many good people who struggle to create balance in the face of the endless demands for their time and personal resources.
Sustainable change is possible and it is not complicated; small tweaks to our belief systems, reorganizing our daily thoughts and adopting important physical and spiritual disciplines can have direct impact on the outcomes of our lives.
I spent a good amount of my energy wishing my life would change in any number of ways. I wish that I had known then this one immutable law of personal development: