DISCOVER YOURSELF
The end goal of personal development is self-actualization: the manifestation of your life’s purpose. The vehicle that gets you there is self-realization: the integration of all aspects of the human psyche. The only way to command control over your actions and actualize your dreams is through the discovery of your true self. Through the unification of your unconscious mind and your conscious mind, you can:
- March to the beat of your own drum
- Find your true self
- Take responsibility for your life
- Manifest your destiny
Fail to take action, and you will remain a puppet on a string.
INTROSPECTION
Until you possess an accurate perspective of yourself by recognizing your personal strengths, as well as your weaknesses, you cannot expect to ever overcome your impediments to personal growth. First and foremost, you must assess your strengths, so that they can be channeled in a productive direction. But you also must recognize the existence of your past traumas and personal imperfections, so they do not stand in your way on your path to recovery and self-actualization.
CONFRONT WHAT YOU'VE BEEN HIDING
When we deny or repress our emotional pain and our own feelings of inadequacy, we lose all hope of resolving them. If you continue to ignore these problems they will fester inside of you, handicap you, and subtly control you until your life passes you by. Facing personal demons is the more painful side of self-improvement that people naturally tend to avoid; and it is the precise reason why so many people read self-help books and undergo therapy, yet fail to make lasting progress.
PEEL BACK THE LAYERS OF YOURSELF
The Ego is your self-image; the social face you present to the world—a kind of “mask”, designed on the one hand to impress others, and on the other to shield you from negative images and conceal the true nature of yourself. The ego focuses your attention on the material world, and your material ambitions.
The Anima is expressed as a feminine inner personality in the unconscious of the male. The Animus is expressed as a masculine inner personality in the unconscious of the female. In Eastern terms, these qualities are known as “Yin” and “Yang,” and they reflect the duality of ourselves. A healthy ratio of masculine and feminine hormones naturally exists within both males and females. A conscious effort to keep a proper balance of this ratio helps to maintain men and women as fully balanced beings.
The Shadow is all of the rejected and repressed aspects of yourself – all of the shortcomings your conscious ego refuses to identify in itself for the simple fact that they insult your self-image. The shadow is a collection of all your maladjustments and undesirable tendencies that largely contribute to your self-sabotaging behavioral patterns and ultimately limit your potential.
The Self is the unification of consciousness and unconsciousness in a person; it represents the psyche as a whole, and can only be born through the awareness and integration of the ego, the shadow, and the anima/animus. Once you become self-aware and fully integrated, you can begin taking the driver seat of your life by overcoming your dark side, tempering your ego, and achieving balance in your life.
BECOME HUMAN
We have evolved through the eons– from an immaterial, endless realm of space, to the celestial bodies that compose our solar system, and eventually to the first sign of life: the inception of a single-celled microorganism. Slowly but surely, more complex, multicellular lifeforms began to emerge within our universe, continually evolving towards a higher state of consciousness and a greater state of physical capability. Through selective breeding and the rigors of competition, Nature’s ascent towards divinity reached a groundbreaking development with the appearance of primitive man. And since the dawn of man, our ancestors have labored and sacrificed generation after generation, so that we could stand tall here today as the most advanced and creative beings on the face of this planet.
The study of biology and genetics reveals to us that we are mammalian animals belonging to the same family as some of the great apes. But we have forgotten, even denied our connection to Nature and her laws. Mainly because we have been pulled up and out of the muck and mire by the most ingenious members of our species. Thanks to the innovation and selflessness of these exceptional personalities, we have been granted the benefits of a refined and civilized existence… or so we think.
It has been said by several modern-day scientists that we as humans are nothing more than advanced primates walking on two legs, acting on hormone secretions and nerve impulses. In other words, we are not autonomous. Instead, we act on impulse, which is largely out of our conscious control. As much as this notion may offend your intelligence, it is partially true. I would say that the majority of all people have a lot less control over their own actions than they would like to believe. If you are unconvinced, look no further than your own bad habits. If we commanded as much control over ourselves as we insist, why do we find ourselves stuck in toxic patterns? Truth be told, we are creatures of habit, and it’s not just a cliché. If you’re still not convinced, try this quick exercise to prove just how much self-control we as humans lack. Close your eyes, clear your mind, and think about absolutely nothing for just 30 seconds.
Easier said than done, right? You see, our minds and our thoughts are controlling us. Not the other way around!
Most people are slaves to their desires, emotions, and impulses. Virtuosity and self-restraint are attributes that are uniquely human. However, these admirable qualities are characteristic of very few human beings. Many people live a more animal existence in which they have not fully acquired the distinguishing qualities that define a human being. The only fundamental separating us from the rest of the animal kingdom, is in our potential to control our impulses. Without the self-composure and discipline to act by our own accord, we are nothing more than primal creatures.
We do have the profound potential to transcend beyond our animal existence, and continue to seek our own evolution.