One path to self-actualization
This past weekend I attended a workshop that led to me look back at my growth and some of the pivotal points in my life. I want to share them with you because you might be on a similar path and understanding the path I’ve taken might make your own journey much clearer. The first stage As regular readers of this blog know all too well, for the first 38 years of my life I was miserable. Between my depression, my neediness, my two divorces, my dissatisfaction with work, and being scared and upset much of the times, I was [...]
What do you really want out of life?
Every time we send our mailing list a survey asking what you want from the Lefkoe Institute, what you want out of life, or what you would like to change in your life, the most frequent answer we get is overcoming fear in order to take action. Other answers include: Eliminating other negative feelings and wanting to be more successful. On a recent questionnaire many of you mentioned wanting to make some type of contribution to others. Is that all there is to life? These are certainly worthwhile goals. I suspect that they are representative of what most people in [...]
Are You Really Free To Choose?
For centuries philosophers have debated the question: Do we have free will or not? This is not merely some theoretical issue; the answer has crucial practical implications for your daily life. Do you have the ability to choose what nurtures you and makes you happy—or not? What is free will? What I mean by free will is the ability to choose something versus something else without having that choice determined by something outside of the chooser’s control. Free will is a matter of degree and it is possible to have a greater or lesser ability to choose freely. Given that [...]
Four Tips To Determine The Best Self-Improvement Program
If you are one of the tens of millions of people interested in self-improvement—and if you’re reading this blog you probably are—taking responsibility for improving your life is something you just take for granted. Wouldn’t everyone want to change for the better? Wouldn’t everyone do whatever they could to free themselves from their suffering? Actually, the surprising answer to these questions is, no. Only a relatively small percent of the total population is interested in self-improvement. We have to be ready to grow before we get interested in improving. Abraham Maslow, a psychologist who is known for postulating a “Hierarchy [...]
What’s next after getting better?
Why do you read personal growth materials or purchase personal growth products? If you are typical, there is something in your life you would like to improve. Most people interested in personal growth programs would like to “get better” in some way. The meaning of “getting better” varies from person to person, but it can include relieving suffering, getting over various fears, taking action when we feel fear, stopping compulsive behavior, improving relationships, eliminating the barriers to making and saving money, stopping the negative self talk, etc. Most of the people in the world are trying to get better [...]
