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By Kendra Cherry

Updated December 24, 2015.

Personality development has been a major topic of interest for some of the most prominent thinkers in psychology. Our personalities make us unique, but how does personality develop? How exactly do we become who we are today? What factors play the most important role in the formation of personality? Can personality ever change?

To answer this question, many prominent theorists developed theories to describe various steps and stages that occur on the road of personality development.

The following theories focus on various aspects of personality development, including cognitive, social and moral development.

Jean Piagets theory of cognitive development remains one of the most frequently cited in psychology, despite being subject to considerable criticism. While many aspects of his theory have not stood the test of time, the central idea remains important today: children think differently than adults.

According to Piaget, children progress through a series of four stages that are marked by distinctive changes in how they think. Learn more about Piagets groundbreaking theory and the important contributions it made to our understanding of personality development.

In addition to being one of the best-known thinkers in the area of personality development, Sigmund Freud remains one of the most controversial. In his well-known stage theory of psychosexual development, Freud suggested that personality develops in stages that are related to specific erogenous zones. Failure to complete these stages, he suggested, would lead to personality problems in adulthood.

Freud not only theorized about how personality developed over the course of childhood, but he also developed a framework for how overall personality is structured. According to Freud, the basic driving force of personality and behavior is known as the libido. This libidinal energy fuels the three components that make up personality: the id, the ego and the superego.

The id is the aspect of personality present at birth. It is the most primal part of personality and drives people to fulfill their most basic needs and urges. The ego is the aspect of personality charged with controlling the urges of the id and forcing it to behave in realistic ways.

The superego is the final aspect of personality to develop and contains all of the ideals, morals and value imbued by our parents and culture. This part of personality attempts to make the ego behave according to these ideals. The ego must then moderate between the primal needs of the id, the idealistic standards of the superego and reality.

Freud's concept of the id, ego and superego has gained prominence in popular culture, despite a lack of support and considerable skepticism from many researchers. According to Freud, it is the three elements of personality that work together to create complex human behaviors.

Erik Eriksons eight-stage theory of human development is one of the best-known theories in psychology. While the theory builds on Freuds stages of psychosexual development, Erikson chose to focus on how social relationships impact personality development. The theory also extends beyond childhood to look at development across the entire lifespan.

At each stage of psychosocial development, people face a crisis in which a task must be mastered. Those who successfully complete each stage emerge with a sense of mastery and well-being. Those who do not resolve the crisis at each stage may struggle with those skills for the remainder of their lives.

Lawrence Kohlberg developed a theory of personality development that focused on the growth of moral thought. Building on a two-stage process proposed by Piaget, Kohlberg expanded the theory to include six different stages. While the theory has been criticized for a number of different reasons, including the possibility that it does not accommodate different genders and cultures equally, Kohlbergs theory remains important in our understanding of how personality develops.

These theories are just a beginning point in understanding how personality develops. Continue your reading in the resources below to learn more:

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Theories of Personality Development - About.com Health

Please enjoy these personal development articleswhich offer many helpful tips and strategies as part of Essential Life Skills and learn how to incorporate them into your game plan.

How to Build Self Confidence We have to build our self-confidence and not depend on or wait for anyone else's approval.

How To Start A Self-Confidence Action Plan Enjoy these tips on how to devise a self-confidence Action Plan!

Healthy Personal Boundaries & How to Establish Them Learning to set healthy personal boundaries is necessary for maintaining a positive self-concept or self-image.

Dare to Be An Original When you dare to be an original you are in essence daring to be "yourself" and everything that encompasses who you really are.

10 Ways To Improve Your Personality Contrary to what you may believe, you can improve your personality.

The Power of Persistence Indeed there is power in persistence. It is the fundamental difference between a successful outcome and a failed outcome due to giving up.

Why Quick Fixes Don't Work in Personal Development There are no quick fixes or short cuts to personal development (or to anything else worthwhile, for that matter).

Develop Good Habits in 7 Simple Steps As humans we are creatures of habit therefore developing good habits should be simple - right!

7 Useful Practices to Kick Start Your Day Here are 7 useful practices to kick start the day no matter what happens to threaten your sanity!

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How to Think For Yourself Do you think for yourself? How do you even know that you are?

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Self-Discipline - The Foundation For Success No personal success, achievement or goal can be realized without self-discipline.

Effective Goal Setting Achieving the life you want is possible if you know how to set goals effectively.

The Elements of A Productive Mindset A productive mindset is one that makes the best use of your resources - your time, your energy and your efforts.

The Art of Conversation The art of conversation, like any art, is a skill of elegance, nuance and creative execution.

Good Communication Skills - Key to Any Success Good communication skills are key to success in life, work, and relationships.

Increase Your Brain Power with Classics Consider reading and learning about Classics to improve your mind or brain power, learning capability, and expanding your cultural literacy.

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The Benefits of Regular Exercise Scientific research has shown that people who exercise regularly are healthier physically and mentally, have more energy, think more clearly, and sleep better.

Stress Management Strategies Stress management strategies are more important than ever in these chaotic, uncertain, and quickly changing times.

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A Personal Development FAQ Some actual questions and answers obtained from consultations that you may find personally helpful (the names have been omitted to protect privacy).

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Emotional Freedom Technique Can Change Your Life More people are taking responsibility for their own well being than ever before. As a result there are self-help modalities available, to suit everyone's needs.

Affirmations - How To Make Them Real There has been some speculation as to whether using affirmations is helpful in pursuing personal development and setting goals.

Visualization a Key To Achieving Your Goals Just as affirmations can help you motivate yourself and focus better so can using visualization or mental imagery.

How to Think Critically and Problem Solve Learning to think critically or problem solve is imperative if we are to succeed at anything in life.

Keys To Making A Good Decision Good or sound decision-making is necessary for living life productively and efficiently.

Expand Your Comfort Zone If you want to improve and develop yourself you have to step out of your comfort zone.

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Personal Development and Human Potential Personal development is not measured by financial, social or external success.

10 Things for Which to be Thankful It is said to be thankful is its own reward.

Forgiveness and Letting Go - How To Achieve It Forgiveness is more for your sake than anyone else's.

Overcoming Fear of Failure For many highly successful men who have accomplished great things in life, failure was merely a stepping stone to achieving greatness.

Overcome Your Fear Fear is certainly not always a bad thing. When it serves as a warning signal for impending danger or a life-threatening situation it is necessary and life preserving.

5 Tips for Managing Change Change is sometimes difficult yet inevitable. If we can learn to accept and manage it, we can make it work for us.

Motivate Yourself - 5 Tips To Help You Sometimes it's very difficult to get ourselves moving, however, if we want to accomplish our goals we have to be able to motivate ourselves.

10 Positive Habits To Develop The little positive habits that could make the difference between having an okay day and a upbeat, positive day.

Ten Character Traits Worth Developing A wonderful article that lists a set of principles to live by.

18 Excellent Rules for Living I could not improve on the Dalai Lama's 18 rules for living so enjoy!

How To Take Control of Your Life Each day you have the ability to make the choice to take control of your life, or to let it control you.

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Anatomy of A successful Relationship A successful relationship, as with most things in life, does not come about by luck, is a fluke, or happens just because you wish it.

Relationship Reality Check Every now and then your relationship needs a reality check to make sure you are on the same page and in touch with each other.

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Link:
Personal Development Articles - Essential Life Skills.net

Fulfilling Your Dreams

Counseling is often thought of as a form of repair work applied to deal with something wrong. Few people recognize the potential person-centered counseling offers to improve your life, even when your life isnt broken. Whether your goals have to do with your education, your career, your relationships, or your sense of stability and control in your life, counseling can provide both guidance and support.

While counseling can certainly help resolve a range of serious problems in peoples lives, it may serve most effectively as a way of empowering yourself to become the person you dream of. If you feel youre not focused, that you self-sabotage, that youre not reaching out for a bigger, better life; the many forms of personal growth counseling could be just what youre looking for.

Going into counseling to improve your life skills can be a matter of simple training in technique, or it can be a matter of profound self-examination. Which you become involved in will depend on your goals, your personality, and more. Much counseling aimed at personal development goals can be less involved and intensive, because many counselors in this area are focused on practical changes in behavior and self-presentation.

Life coaches come in all forms and styles. Often a blend of career counselor, surrogate mom helping you sort your life into shape, and cheerleader, life coaches focus on finding the bits of your life that arent working quite right, the parts that are, and trying to improve the first while expanding on the second. Life coach counseling is focused primarily on where you want to go in your life. Goals are set, plans laid out, skills worked on. Some degree of self-examination is involved, but in a very goal-oriented, directed sense. Life coaching may ultimately lead you to choose personal growth counseling, as you determine you want or need deeper examination of your own nature.

One of the most common forms of personal growth counseling, career counseling is used by men and women, young and old, those just entering the job market, those looking for career changes, and those simply wanting to advance within their current careers. Career counselors focus on your strengths and weaknesses in the job market, your goals, and the options open to you. Career counseling is seldom the intense self-examination personal growth counseling can be.

Hypnotherapy can be a direct, goal oriented process aimed at dealing directly with minor problems, or it can be a supplemental form of therapy for those involved in more broad-reaching forms of counseling. Underestimating the value of hypnotherapy to support life change and self-realization is a mistake. An equal mistake, however, is to treat the process as a sort of magic wand which allows you to change your life without the examination and conscious exploration true change demands. Under most circumstances, hypnotherapy supports and augments other counseling functions, serving as reinforcement rather than as a fully developed form of counseling in its own right.

Perhaps the most traditional of the growth and development counseling forms, personal growth counseling involves a classic evaluation of your life, your goals, and the tools youve assembled to proceed in life. A good personal growth counselor, while future-oriented and focused on helping promote growth, takes the time to integrate past and present in the service of a better future. This form of counseling is often offered by classic psychiatrists, incorporating the techniques and approaches of life and career counseling into the more exploratory work done in traditional personal counseling.

Whichever approach to growth you choose, finding a capable and effective counselor for you can be a challenge. Try to put together a list of possible counselors, and several different approaches you would consider. Getting a referral from a reliable referral service can help. By making use of referral services you can ensure that potential counselors have been filtered for professionalism at least once before you make contact. Once youve got a good selection to choose from, interview them carefully and choose the one with whom youre most confident.

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Personal Development Types of Personal Development ...

Testimonials

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Personal Development Helping Student-Athletes Score Big in Education, Athletics, and Life

Personal Development is committed to the growth of the total student-athlete. We appreciate the commitment student-athletes make to their academic and athletic goals and the time they invest in these pursuits. Personal Development aims to support student-athletes in these endeavors and encourage them to pursue a well-rounded college experience.

Through targeted programming Personal Development helps student-athletes maximize their personal potential. We aid student-athletes in their transition into higher education, equip them with the skills necessary to meet challenges they may face, and prepare them for life after graduation.

University of Southern California John McKay Center 940 W. 35th St. Los Angeles, CA 90089

Front Desk: 213-740-3801

Fax: 213-740-4407

athsaas@usc.edu

The USC Student-Athlete Academic Services (SAAS) Program is committed to providing the necessary support to assist all student-athletes in reaching their full potential academically, personally, and professionally. Our program includes academic advising, career development, community service, tutorial programs, and learning specialists, which are all aimed at promoting a philosophy of individual responsibility so as to encourage each student-athlete to value their educational experience.

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Personal Development | Student-Athlete Academic Services | USC

For the belief in being able to contact the dead, see Spiritualism.

Spirituality may refer to almost any kind of meaningful activity,[note 1]personal growth, or blissful experience.

Traditionally, spirituality refers to a process of re-formation of the personality but there is no precise definition of spirituality.[note 2]

The term spirit means "animating or vital principle in man and animals".[web 1] It is derived from the Old French espirit[web 1] which comes from the Latin word spiritus (soul, courage, vigor, breath)[web 1] and is related to spirare (to breathe).[web 1] In the Vulgate the Latin word spiritus is used to translate the Greek pneuma and Hebrew ruah.[web 1]

The term "spiritual", matters "concerning the spirit",[web 2] is derived from Old French spirituel (12c.), which is derived from Latin spiritualis, which comes from spiritus or "spirit".[web 2]

The term "spirituality" is derived from Middle French spiritualit,[web 3] from Late Latin "spiritualitatem" (nominative spiritualitas),[web 3] which is also derived from Latin spiritualis.[web 3]

There is no single, widely-agreed definition of spirituality.[note 2] Surveys of the definition of the term, as used in scholarly research, show a broad range of definitions, with very limited similitude.

According to Waaijman, the traditional meaning of spirituality is a process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape of man, the image of God. To accomplish this, the re-formation is oriented at a mold, which represents the original shape: in Judaism the Torah, in Christianity there is Christ, for Buddhism, Buddha, and in Islam, Muhammad."[note 3]

In modern times the emphasis is on subjective experience. It may denote almost any kind of meaningful activity[note 4] or blissful experience. It still denotes a process of transformation, but in a context separate from organized religious institutions, termed "spiritual but not religious". Houtman and Aupers suggest that modern spirituality is a blend of humanistic psychology, mystical and esoteric traditions and eastern religions.

Waaijman points out that "spirituality" is only one term of a range of words which denote the praxis of spirituality. Some other terms are "Hasidism, contemplation, kabbala, asceticism, mysticism, perfection, devotion and piety".

Words translatable as 'spirituality' first began to arise in the 5th century and only entered common use toward the end of the Middle Ages.[12] In a Biblical context the term means being animated by God, to be driven by the Holy Spirit, as opposed to a life which rejects this influence.

In the 11th century this meaning changed. Spirituality began to denote the mental aspect of life, as opposed to the material and sensual aspects of life, "the ecclesiastical sphere of light against the dark world of matter".[note 5] In the 13th century "spirituality" acquired a social and psychological meaning. Socially it denoted the territory of the clergy: "The ecclesiastical against the temporary possessions, the ecclesiastical against the secular authority, the clerical class against the secular class"[note 6] Psychologically, it denoted the realm of the inner life: "The purity of motives, affections, intentions, inner dispositions, the psychology of the spiritual life, the analysis of the feelings".[note 7]

In the 17th and 18th century a distinction was made between higher and lower forms of spirituality: "A spiritual man is one who is Christian 'more abundantly and deeper than others'."[note 8] The word was also associated with mysticism and quietism, and acquired a negative meaning.[citation needed]

Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882) was a pioneer of the idea of spirituality as a distinct field.[18] He was one of the major figures in Transcendentalism, an early 19th-century liberal Protestant movement, which was rooted in English and German Romanticism, the Biblical criticism of Herder and Schleiermacher, the skepticism of Hume,[web 4] and Neo-Platonism. The Transcendentalists emphasised an intuitive, experiential approach of religion.[web 5] Following Schleiermacher, an individual's intuition of truth was taken as the criterion for truth.[web 5] In the late 18th and early 19th century, the first translations of Hindu texts appeared, which were also read by the Transcendentalists, and influenced their thinking.[web 5] They also endorsed universalist and Unitarianist ideas, leading to Unitarian Universalism, the idea that there must be truth in other religions as well, since a loving God would redeem all living beings, not just Christians.[web 5][web 6]

An important influence on western spirituality was Neo-Vedanta, also called neo-Hinduism and Hindu Universalism,[web 7] a modern interpretation of Hinduism which developed in response to western colonialism and orientalism. It aims to present Hinduism as a "homogenized ideal of Hinduism" with Advaita Vedanta as its central doctrine. Due to the colonisation of Asia by the western world, since the 19th century an exchange of ideas has been taking place between the western world and Asia, which also influenced western religiosity. Unitarianism, and the idea of Universalism, was brought to India by missionaries, and had a major influence on neo-Hinduism via Ram Mohan Roy's Brahmo Samaj and Brahmoism. Roy attempted to modernise and reform Hinduism, from the idea of Universalism. This universalism was further popularised, and brought back to the west as neo-Vedanta, by Swami Vivekananda.

Another major influence on modern spirituality was the Theosophical Society, which searched for 'secret teachings' in Asian religions. It has been influential on modernist streams in several Asian religions, notably Neo-Vedanta, the revival of Theravada Buddhism, and Buddhist modernism, which have taken over modern western notions of personal experience and universalism and integrated them in their religious concepts. A second, related influence was Anthroposophy, whose founder, Rudolf Steiner, was particularly interested in developing a genuine Western spirituality, and in the ways that such a spirituality could transform practical institutions such as education, agriculture, and medicine.[27][28]

The influence of Asian traditions on western modern spirituality was also furthered by the Perennial Philosophy, whose main proponent Aldous Huxley was deeply influenced by Vivekanda's Neo-Vedanta and Universalism, and the spread of social welfare, education and mass travel after World War Two.

Important early 20th century western writers who studied the phenomenon of spirituality, and their works, include William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), and Rudolph Otto, especially The Idea of the Holy (1917). James' notions of "spiritual experience" had a further influence on the modernist streams in Asian traditions, making them even further recognisable for a western audience.

After the Second World War spirituality and religion became disconnected, and spirituality became more oriented on subjective experience, instead of "attempts to place the self within a broader ontological context." A new discourse developed, in which (humanistic) psychology, mystical and esoteric traditions and eastern religions are being blended, to reach the true self by self-disclosure, free expression and meditation.

The distinction between the spiritual and the religious became more common in the popular mind during the late 20th century with the rise of secularism and the advent of the New Age movement. Authors such as Chris Griscom and Shirley MacLaine explored it in numerous ways in their books. Paul Heelas noted the development within New Age circles of what he called "seminar spirituality":[31] structured offerings complementing consumer choice with spiritual options.

Among other factors, declining membership of organized religions and the growth of secularism in the western world have given rise to this broader view of spirituality.[32] The term "spiritual" is now frequently used in contexts in which the term "religious" was formerly employed. Both theists and atheists have criticized this development.[34][35]

Rabbinic Judaism (or in some Christian traditions, Rabbinism) (Hebrew: "Yahadut Rabanit" - ) has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Talmud. It is characterised by the belief that the Written Torah ("Law" or "Instruction") cannot be correctly interpreted without reference to the Oral Torah and by the voluminous literature specifying what behavior is sanctioned by the law (called halakha, "the way").

Judaism knows a variety of religious observances: ethical rules, prayers, religious clothing, holidays, shabbat, pilgrimages, Torah reading, dietary laws.

Kabbalah (literally "receiving"), is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought of Judaism. Its definition varies according to the tradition and aims of those following it,[36] from its religious origin as an integral part of Judaism, to its later Christian, New Age, or Occultist syncretic adaptations. Kabbalah is a set of esoteric teachings meant to explain the relationship between an unchanging, eternal and mysterious Ein Sof (no end) and the mortal and finite universe (his creation). While it is heavily used by some denominations, it is not a religious denomination in itself. Inside Judaism, it forms the foundations of mystical religious interpretation. Outside Judaism, its scriptures are read outside the traditional canons of organised religion. Kabbalah seeks to define the nature of the universe and the human being, the nature and purpose of existence, and various other ontological questions. It also presents methods to aid understanding of these concepts and to thereby attain spiritual realisation.

Hasidic Judaism, meaning "piety" (or "loving kindness"), is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspect of the faith. It was founded in 18th-century Eastern Europe by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov as a reaction against overly legalistic Judaism. His example began the characteristic veneration of leadership in Hasidism as embodiments and intercessors of Divinity for the followers.[citation needed] Opposite to this, Hasidic teachings cherished the sincerity and concealed holiness of the unlettered common folk, and their equality with the scholarly elite. The emphasis on the Immanent Divine presence in everything gave new value to prayer and deeds of kindness, alongside Rabbinic supremacy of study, and replaced historical mystical (kabbalistic) and ethical (musar) asceticism and admonishment with optimism,[citation needed] encouragement, and daily fervour. This populist emotional revival accompanied the elite ideal of nullification to paradoxical Divine Panentheism, through intellectual articulation of inner dimensions of mystical thought.

Catholic spirituality is the spiritual practice of living out a personal act of faith (fides qua creditur) following the acceptance of faith (fides quae creditur). Although all Catholics are expected to pray together at Mass, there are many different forms of spirituality and private prayer which have developed over the centuries. Each of the major religious orders of the Catholic Church and other lay groupings have their own unique spirituality - its own way of approaching God in prayer and in living out the Gospel.

Christian mysticism refers to the development of mystical practices and theory within Christianity. It has often been connected to mystical theology, especially in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. The attributes and means by which Christian mysticism is studied and practiced are varied and range from ecstatic visions of the soul's mystical union with God to simple prayerful contemplation of Holy Scripture (i.e., Lectio Divina).

Progressive Christianity is a contemporary movement which seeks to remove the supernatural claims of the faith and replace them with a post-critical understanding of biblical spirituality based on historical and scientific research. It focuses on the lived experience of spirituality over historical dogmatic claims, and accepts that the faith is both true and a human construction, and that spiritual experiences are psychologically and neurally real and useful.

The Pillars of Islam (arkan al-Islam; also arkan ad-din, "pillars of religion") are five basic acts in Islam, considered obligatory for all believers. The Quran presents them as a framework for worship and a sign of commitment to the faith. They are (1) the shahadah (creed), (2) daily prayers (salat), (3) almsgiving (zakah), (4) fasting during Ramadan and (5) the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime. The Shia and Sunni sects both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts.[37]

The best known form of Islamic mystic spirituality is the Sufi tradition (famous through Rumi and Hafiz) in which a spiritual master or pir transmits spiritual discipline to students.[38]

Sufism or taawwuf (Arabic: ) is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.[39][40][41] A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a f (). Sufis believe they are practicing ihsan (perfection of worship) as revealed by Gabriel to Muhammad,

Worship and serve Allah as you are seeing Him and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you.

Sufis consider themselves as the original true proponents of this pure original form of Islam. They are strong adherents to the principal of tolerance, peace and against any form of violence. The Sufi have suffered severe persecution by their coreligionist brothers the Wahhabi and the Salafist. In 1843 the Senussi Sufi were forced to flee Mecca and Medina and head to the Sudan and Libya.[42]

Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as "a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God".[43] Alternatively, in the words of the Darqawi Sufi teacher Ahmad ibn Ajiba, "a science through which one can know how to travel into the presence of the Divine, purify one's inner self from filth, and beautify it with a variety of praiseworthy traits".[44]

Jihad is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihd translates as a noun meaning "struggle". There are two commonly accepted meanings of jihad: an inner spiritual struggle and an outer physical struggle. The "greater jihad" is the inner struggle by a believer to fulfill his religious duties.[46] This non-violent meaning is stressed by both Muslim[47] and non-Muslim[48] authors.

Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, an 11th-century Islamic scholar, referenced a statement by the companion of Muhammad Jabir ibn Abd-Allah:

The Prophet [...] returned from one of his battles, and thereupon told us, 'You have arrived with an excellent arrival, you have come from the Lesser Jihad to the Greater Jihadthe striving of a servant (of Allah) against his desires (holy war)."[unreliable source?][49][50][note 9]

Buddhist practices are known as Bhavana, which literally means "development" or "cultivating"[51] or "producing"[52][53] in the sense of "calling into existence."[54] It is an important concept in Buddhist praxis (Patipatti). The word bhavana normally appears in conjunction with another word forming a compound phrase such as citta-bhavana (the development or cultivation of the heart/mind) or metta-bhavana (the development/cultivation of lovingkindness). When used on its own bhavana signifies 'spiritual cultivation' generally.

Various Buddhist Paths to liberation developed throughout the ages. Best-known is the Noble Eightfold Path, but others include the Bodhisattva Path and Lamrim.

Three of four paths of spirituality in Hinduism

Hinduism has no traditional ecclesiastical order, no centralized religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet(s) nor any binding holy book; Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monistic, or atheistic.[55] Within this diffuse and open structure, spirituality in Hindu philosophy is an individual experience, and referred to as ksaitraja (Sanskrit: [56]). It defines spiritual practice as ones journey towards moksha, awareness of self, the discovery of higher truths, true nature of reality, and a consciousness that is liberated and content.[57][58]

Hinduism identifies four ways - mrga[59] or yoga[60] - of spiritual practice.[61] The first way is Jna yoga, the way of knowledge. The second way is Bhakti yoga, the way of devotion. The third way is Karma yoga, the way of works. The fourth way is Rja yoga, the way of contemplation and meditation.

Jna marga is a path often assisted by a guru (teacher) in ones spiritual practice.[62] Bhakti marga is a path of faith and devotion to deity or deities; the spiritual practice often includes chanting, singing and music - such as in kirtans - in front of idols, or images of one or more deity, or a devotional symbol of the holy.[63] Karma marga is the path of ones work, where diligent practical work or vartta (Sanskrit: , profession) becomes in itself a spiritual practice, and work in daily life is perfected as a form of spiritual liberation and not for its material rewards.[64][65] Rja marga is the path of cultivating necessary virtues, self-discipline, tapas (meditation), contemplation and self-reflection sometimes with isolation and renunciation of the world, to a pinnacle state called samdhi.[66][67] This state of samdhi has been compared to peak experience.[68]

There is a rigorous debate in Indian literature on relative merits of these theoretical spiritual practices. For example, Chandogyopanishad suggests that those who engage in ritualistic offerings to gods and priests will fail in their spiritual practice, while those who engage in tapas will succeed; Svetasvataropanishad suggests that a successful spiritual practice requires a longing for truth, but warns of becoming false ascetic who go through the mechanics of spiritual practice without meditating on the nature of Self and universal Truths.[69] In the practice of Hinduism, suggest modern era scholars such as Vivekananda, the choice between the paths is up to the individual and a persons proclivities.[58][70] Other scholars[71] suggest that these Hindu spiritual practices are not mutually exclusive, but overlapping. These four paths of spirituality are also known in Hinduism outside India, such as in Balinese Hinduism, where it is called Catur Marga (literally: four paths).[72]

Different schools of Hinduism encourage different spiritual practices. In Tantric school for example, the spiritual practice has been referred to as sdhan. It involves initiation into the school, undergoing rituals, and achieving moksha liberation by experiencing union of cosmic polarities.[73] The Hare Krishna school emphasizes bhakti yoga as spiritual practice.[74] In Advaita Vedanta school, the spiritual practice emphasizes jna yoga in stages: samnyasa (cultivate virtues), sravana (hear, study), manana (reflect) and dhyana (nididhyasana, contemplate).[75]

Sikhism considers spiritual life and secular life to be intertwined:[76] "In the Sikh Weltanschauung...the temporal world is part of the Infinite Reality and partakes of its characteristics."[77] Guru Nanak described living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" as being higher than a purely contemplative life.[78]

The 6th Sikh Guru Guru Hargobind re-affirmed that the political/temporal (Miri) and spiritual (Piri) realms are mutually coexistent.[79] According to the 9th Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadhur, the ideal Sikh should have both Shakti (power that resides in the temporal), and Bhakti (spiritual meditative qualities). This was developed into the concept of the Saint Soldier by the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh.[80]

According to Guru Nanak, the goal is to attain the "attendant balance of separation-fusion, self-other, action-inaction, attachment-detachment, in the course of daily life",[81] the polar opposite to a self-centered existence.[81] Nanak talks further about the one God or Akal (timelessness) that permeates all life[82]).[83][84][85] and which must be seen with 'the inward eye', or the 'heart', of a human being.[86]

In Sikhism there is no dogma,[87]priests, monastics or yogis.

In some African contexts, spirituality is considered a belief system that guides the welfare of society and the people therein, and eradicates sources of unhappiness occasioned by evil.

The term "spiritual" is now frequently used in contexts in which the term "religious" was formerly employed. Contemporary spirituality is also called "post-traditional spirituality" and "New Age spirituality". Hanegraaf makes a distinction between two "New Age" movements: New Age in a restricted sense, which originated primarily in mid-twentieth century England and had its roots in Theosophy and Anthroposophy, and "New Age in a general sense, which emerged in the later 1970s

...when increasing numbers of people [...] began to perceive a broad similarity between a wide variety of "alternative ideas" and pursuits, and started to think of them as part of one "movement"".

Those who speak of spirituality outside of religion often define themselves as spiritual but not religious and generally believe in the existence of different "spiritual paths," emphasizing the importance of finding one's own individual path to spirituality. According to one 2005 poll, about 24% of the United States population identifies itself as spiritual but not religious.[web 8]

Modern spirituality is centered on the "deepest values and meanings by which people live."[90] It embraces the idea of an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality.[91] It envisions an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being.

Not all modern notions of spirituality embrace transcendental ideas. Secular spirituality emphasizes humanistic ideas on moral character (qualities such as love, compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, responsibility, harmony, and a concern for others).[92]:22 These are aspects of life and human experience which go beyond a purely materialist view of the world without necessarily accepting belief in a supernatural reality or divine being. Nevertheless, many humanists (e.g. Bertrand Russell) who clearly value the non-material, communal and virtuous aspects of life reject this usage of the term spirituality as being overly-broad (i.e. it effectively amounts to saying "everything and anything that is good and virtuous is necessarily spiritual")[93] Similarly, Aristotleone of first known Western thinkers to demonstrate that morality, virtue and goodness can be derived without appealing to supernatural forceseven argued that "men create Gods in their own image" (not the other way around). Moreover, theistic and atheistic critics alike dismiss the need for the term "secular spirituality" on the basis that i) the term "spirit" is commonly taken as denoting the existence of unseen / otherworldly /life-giving forces and ii) words such as morality, philanthropy and humanism already efficiently and succinctly describe the prosocial and civility meant to be conveyed by the term secular spirituality but without risk of such confusion.

Although personal well-being, both physical and psychological, is said to be an important aspect of modern spirituality, this does not imply spirituality is essential to achieving happiness (e.g. see). Free-thinkers who reject notions that the numinous/non-material is important to living well can be just as happy as more spiritually-oriented individuals (see)[94]

Contemporary spirituality theorists assert that spirituality develops inner peace and forms a foundation for happiness. For example, Meditation and similar practices are suggested to help practitioners cultivate his or her inner life and character.[95][unreliable source?][96] Ellison and Fan (2008) assert that spirituality causes a wide array of positive health outcomes, including "morale, happiness, and life satisfaction.".[97] However, Schuurmans-Stekhoven (2013) actively attempted to replicate this research and found more "mixed" results.[98] Nevertheless, spirituality has played a central role in self-help movements such as Alcoholics Anonymous:

...if an alcoholic failed to perfect and enlarge his spiritual life through work and self-sacrifice for others, he could not survive the certain trials and low spots ahead....[99]

"Spiritual experience" plays a central role in modern spirituality. This notion has been popularised by both western and Asian authors.

William James popularized the use of the term "religious experience" in his The Varieties of Religious Experience. It has also influenced the understanding of mysticism as a distinctive experience which supplies knowledge.[web 4]

Wayne Proudfoot traces the roots of the notion of "religious experience" further back to the German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher (17681834), who argued that religion is based on a feeling of the infinite. The notion of "religious experience" was used by Schleiermacher to defend religion against the growing scientific and secular critique. It was adopted by many scholars of religion, of which William James was the most influential.

Major Asian influences were Vivekananda and D.T. Suzuki.Swami Vivekananda popularised a modern syncretitistic Hinduism, in which the authority of the scriptures was replaced by an emphasis on personal experience.D.T. Suzuki had a major influence on the popularisation of Zen in the west and popularized the idea of enlightenment as insight into a timeless, transcendent reality.[web 9][web 10] Another example can be seen in Paul Brunton's A Search in Secret India, which introduced Ramana Maharshi and Meher Baba to a western audience.

Spiritual experiences can include being connected to a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; joining with other individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm.[107]

Waaijman discerns four forms of spiritual practices:

Spiritual practices may include meditation, mindfulness, prayer, the contemplation of sacred texts, ethical development,[92] and the use of psychoactive substances (entheogens). Love and/or compassion are often[quantify] described as the mainstay of spiritual development.[92]

Within spirituality is also found "a common emphasis on the value of thoughtfulness, tolerance for breadth and practices and beliefs, and appreciation for the insights of other religious communities, as well as other sources of authority within the social sciences."[110]

Since the scientific revolution, the relationship of science to religion and spirituality has developed in complex ways.[111][112] Historian John Hedley Brooke describes wide variations:

The natural sciences have been invested with religious meaning, with antireligious implications and, in many contexts, with no religious significance at all."[112]

It has been proposed that the currently held popular notion of antagonisms between science and religion[113][114] has historically originated with "thinkers with a social or political axe to grind" rather than with the natural philosophers themselves.[112] Though physical and biological scientists today avoid supernatural explanations to describe reality[115][116][117][note 10], some scientists continue to consider science and spirituality to be complementary, not contradictory,[118][119] and are willing to debate.[120]

A few religious leaders have also shown openness to modern science and its methods. The 14th Dalai Lama has proposed that if a scientific analysis conclusively showed certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then the claims must be abandoned and the findings of science accepted.[121]

During the twentieth century the relationship between science and spirituality has been influenced both by Freudian psychology, which has accentuated the boundaries between the two areas by accentuating individualism and secularism, and by developments in particle physics, which reopened the debate about complementarity between scientific and religious discourse and rekindled for many an interest in holistic conceptions of reality.[112]:322 These holistic conceptions were championed by New Age spiritualists in a type of quantum mysticism that they claim justifies their spiritual beliefs,[122][123] though quantum physicists themselves on the whole reject such attempts as being pseudoscientific.[124][125]

Various studies have reported a positive correlation between spirituality and mental well-being in both healthy people and those encountering a range of physical illnesses or psychological disorders.[126][127][128][129] Spiritual individuals tend to be optimistic, report greater social support,[130] and experience higher intrinsic meaning in life,[131] strength, and inner peace.[132]

The issue of whether the correlation of spirituality with positive psychological factors represents a causal link remains unresolved. Both supporters and opponents of this claim agree that past statistical findings are difficult to interpret, in part because of the ongoing disagreement over how spirituality should be defined and measured.[133] There is also evidence that a predisposition to experience positive emotions and/or a tendency toward sociability (which both correlate with spirituality) might actually be the key psychological features that add to well-being. There is also some suggestion that the benefits associated with spirituality and religiosity might arise from being a member of a close-knit community. Social bonds available via secular sources (I.e., not unique to spirituality or faith-based groups ) might be just as effective for improving well-being. In sum, spiritual may not be the "active ingredient" (i.e. past association with psychological well-being measures might reflect a reverse causation or effects from other variables that correlate with spirituality),[93][134][135][136][137][138][139] and that the effects of agreeableness, conscientiousness, or virtue see personality traits common in many non-spiritual people yet known to be slightly more common among the spiritual correlate more strongly with mental health than spirituality itself.[140][141][142][143][144] In fact, after removing the effects of virtues on well-being, spirituality (defined as faith in supernatural forces and an afterlife) has been found to have a negative association with psychological well-being see. This suggests nonbelievers can be as happy (if not happier) than the spiritual.

Masters and Spielmans[145] conducted a meta-analysis of all the available and reputable prior research examining the effects of distant intercessory prayer. They found no discernible health effects from being prayed for by others.

Neuroscientists have examined brain functioning during reported spiritual experiences[146][147] finding that certain neurotransmitters and specific areas of the brain are involved.[148][149][150][151] Moreover, experimenters have also successfully induced spiritual experiences in individuals by administering psychoactive agents known to elicit euphoria and perceptual distortions.[152][153] Conversely, religiosity and spirituality can also be dampened by electromagnetic stimulation of the brain.[154] These results have led some leading theorists to speculate that spirituality may be a benign subtype of psychosis (see).[135][155][156][157][158] Benign in the sense that the same aberrant sensory perceptions that those suffering clinical psychoses evaluate as distressingly in-congruent and inexplicable are instead interpreted by spiritual individuals as positiveas personal and meaningful transcendent experiences.[156][157]

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Spirituality - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Personal development is a form of coaching that focuses entirely on the self. This style of coaching aims to evaluate and assess your current strengths and weaknesses in order to improve a certain aspect of life.

Just as an athlete would have a coach to push and support them, a personal development coach is there to make you feel at ease and confident in your life. You deserve to be happy and proud of where you are; a coach will help you achieve that happiness and develop any skills you wish to improve.

This fact-sheet will explain what you may expect from a personal development coaching session. You will discover how this form of coaching can help improve your life, assess your own skills and what needs to be improved.

Life coaching for developing the self can cover a range of issues and concerns you may have. This could include money management, confidence building, public speaking and any other skill you believe would promote personal growth.

For a personal development plan to help you, you have to feel ready to start making these changes and be willing to put the effort in to achieve them. To discover whether personal development coaching is for you, consider these questions:

The way you approach or deal with a situation will determine the way it turns out. For example if you are having problems at work, you may need to develop or improve certain skills. Maybe you need to build self-confidence, be more motivated, control your temper or develop the ability to say yes or no.

A life coach for personal growth may be useful for many reasons. Whether you have one skill you wish to target, or there are several issues contributing to your concern, a personal development plan may help. The various issues could include the following:

Do you approach life negatively or positively? Do you wake up dreading the day or are you able to have a spring in your step and feel ready for what's ahead? Often, the way we feel about the events or changes that are happening can affect the way we cope. In order to promote personal growth, a coach will ask you to place emphasis on your thoughts and meanings of things. For example, if you wish for success, you will need to ask yourself what that success means to you. What makes you successful? How do you know when you have reached 'success'?

Understanding your mental and emotional state is the first step in reaching your goals. Having the confidence, motivation and drive to achieve what you desire is important in personal growth. Recognising your ability to do this will help you progress further, but this can be difficult. To build self-esteem you can:

Personal development coaching can often help you address any social concerns you may have, such as lacking the confidence to meet new people or make friends. A life coach will be able to help you recognise and overcome certain anxieties by teaching you to examine your feelings. These anxieties could include arguments, coping in relationships or dealing with anger.

Your coach may ask what your social life is like. They will question whether you need lots of people around you to feel safe and happy, or whether you are the independent type that enjoys being alone. Recognising your social needs can help you to understand what has caused certain issues and how you can find a healthy balance.

We spend more time at work than we do at home or with loved ones. For many of us, work dominates our social life and if you are not enjoying your job, it can lead to many problems.

Stress at work, feeling undervalued or feeling like you are not reaching your full potential can have a negative impact on the other aspects of life if not dealt with. Not maintaining a balanced routine can affect relationships, productivity, happiness and well-being. Considering personal development coaching can help you to recognise the problems and build your personal goals. A life coach will be able to guide you in your journey of personal growth and help you face the workplace issues you are experiencing.

Money is the source of many problems and one of the main causes of stress for people in the UK. If you find yourself in debt, you will often think of nothing else. The debt can cast a shadow over every aspect of your life, eating away at your positivity and overall health. If you are experiencing financial problems, life coaching can help you identify your strengths in money management and where you may have gone wrong. Are you spending more than you earn? Do you have any expensive hobbies or habits?

As well identifying your financial strengths and weaknesses, personal development coaching can help you to devise a money managing-plan that will in time, regain control of your finances.

Your happiness can be greatly affected by the status of your love life. It doesnt matter if you are in a relationship or single, but take a moment to consider if you are happy. Recognising the state of your happiness is the first step towards making positive changes. Maybe you are single and find it hard to maintain relationships, or maybe you are in an unsatisfying, long-term relationship and you just need the confidence to confront the issues. It is important to learn what you want and happy you are in the current situation to understand what improvements can be made.

Personal development coaching can help you address your relationship concerns, build your confidence and find the satisfaction you deserve.

More people are seeking personal development coaching to help address their spiritual needs. The need to explore ideas and understand life can be an integral part of life for some, therefore a tailored plan will look to address all aspects of the self, including spirituality.

Personal development is about increasing your self-awareness. Life coaches aim to pull out your strengths and weaknesses in order to identify the potential that already exists within you. This is often accomplished through a series of questions designed to help you recognise, accept and build upon your strengths and weaknesses.

In a sense, developing the self is like a spring clean. When cleaning your home, you will often go through each room, examining old memories and belongings, deciding whether you need them or not. Similarly, personal development is a way of improving ones life by evaluating aspects of the self and putting them in order.

A life coach may not necessarily offer direct advice and they will not tell you exactly what to do. What they will do is offer guidance and support through personal development plans and strategies, in order for you to practise effective self-help at home.

These personalised plans will help you to begin the journey towards success and happiness. A personal development coach will also:

Identifying your strengths and weaknesses - The first step in personal growth and development is identifying the strengths and weaknesses in each area of your life. If you wish to develop yourself personally, then the first thing you need to know is what you want to develop.

Goal setting and skill development - Developing yourself and building confidence is all about recognising your achievements, however big or small. Day-to-day challenges can sometimes make us feel unsuccessful, but recognising and praising yourself for the small things will help this. Try to view life as a series of small challenges where each journey you make has its own achievements. Recognise these and you will start to develop a more positive perspective.

Setting personal goals is a great way to start growing. Make a list once a month, or once a week and try to tick off most of the goals you have given yourself. They dont have to be big, start with simple goals such as donating to charity or organising your home - just remember to applaud yourself when you have achieved each goal.

Tracking your achievements - As mentioned above, recognising your successes will build your confidence and self-worth. You may find your life coach suggests you keep a personal development diary. This will be for you to record your thoughts and feelings about each journey you make in life. Having a record of your feelings toward different events will help you to evaluate your behaviour and how to improve it.

If you are considering a personal development coaching session, you should expect to be given the opportunity to assess your emotional well-being and how you are progressing in life. You will consider whether you are happy, whether you are reaching your goals, your state of mind and your relationships.

This process of self-assessment is to help you learn and recognise where you want to be in life and how you can get there. With the help of the coach you will devise a plan, set a goal strategy and determine the best ways for you to achieve them. A coach will not be there to judge you or make your decisions, they will use clever and careful questions to help you raise your awareness and recognise what issues may need to be focused on.

Time seems to get in the way when considering making lifestyle changes. When are you going to develop all these new skills or hobbies if you spend all your time at work? How can you spend more time with your family?

Whatever the reason, you need to evaluate how you currently spend your time. Knowing how you manage your time will encourage you to make changes and find the process less stressful.

Tips to manage your time more effectively can include:

Enhancing your current skills, or learning new ones can empower you as a person and increase the opportunities available to you. However, we all have things that can prevent us from doing so, these barriers could include:

Economic situation If you feel your financial situation is holding you back, try looking online for free courses and information. There may be courses in local schools or colleges that are free or at a reduced rate for people in the lower income bracket.

Lacking time If you dont have time to complete a course alongside work or your other commitments, find out if your work offers any skill development courses. Many companies will fund a training scheme if they feel it will improve your skillset and be beneficial to them.

Low self-confidence or self-esteem This can be a barrier many people face when wanting to develop their skills. Your confidence levels will grow in time, but ask yourself if there is anyone to join you on your journey or offer support along the way. Voicing what you are doing will often promote encouragement from others, or maybe even help you make a new friend.

During this time, keep a journal or a diary, or even a sketchbook. Keep a record of your journey; write down any key events, developments or achievements as they happen so you can reflect on these later. Having a record of these achievements may even encourage you to learn more skills in the future!

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Personal Development Life Coaching - Life Coach Directory

Often, people build stories in their mind which have no basis in the contours of reality. Those which build these images, are building such images which are based on their relatively limited sense of understanding about the particular subject or person. This is a "fill in the blank" reality, which often manifests itself into the hearts and the minds of those who have a "fill in the blank" mindset, not the person with the here said reality. The universe is designed in a way that reflects itself, just like a mirror, showing you exactly who you are to yourself, not who others are. Your largest and most concealed insecurities have their way of presenting themselves to you in a fashion that is relative to your self designed way of communication. This short writing is a reminder that your preconceived notions on a particular subject or person, are a construct of your inner mind and emotional-relational well being and not of others. This is one of the largest fundamental truths in which you must have large insight to carefully watch who and what you massacre with your personal thoughts. Having a keen sense of control on this subject will lead you to enlightenment in many platforms of life. Will Barnes, The Expansion of The Soul

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Quotes About Personal Development (744 quotes)

By Robin Sharma Author of the #1 International Bestseller The Leader Who Had No Title

Greetings from New York City.

Just did a light run through Soho (exercising FIRST thing in the morning has been such a game-changer). You owe it to yourself to try it for 7 days.

Now Im settled into creative mode. Great Colombian coffee. Book-filled room. Fresh flowers. (Another tip: your environment dramatically influences your creativity).

So, I wanted to share some more good information with you in my ongoing OBSESSION to help you Lead Without a Title + build out a life THAT MAKES HISTORY.

Im often asked which books are most transformational for people like us who want to do fantastic work and lead our best lives.

So here are 10 of the best. Read them. Share them. Study them. LIVE them

Jonathan Livingston Seagull. By Richard Bach.

With lines like: Dont believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation, this book will move you deeply. I re-read it in Thailand. Still amazingly good.

Think and Grow Rich. By Napoleon Hill.

Fantastic book. Not so much about financial wealth as it is about the making of a rich life. Youll learn how important it is to have a burning desire (this galvanizes your focus and causes the release of your creativity) + the imperative of setting clear goals + the value of a mastermind alliance. This book truly changed my life when I was starting out as a self-published author with nothing but a dream in my hands. Times were tough. This book got me through.

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius. Bywell, Marcus Aurelius.

Marcus Aurelius was a warriorwho then became a Roman emperor. He wrote his lessons on greatness and a life well lived during a multi-year military campaign. Someone got his notes. And put it into this book. I go back to this book often. It strengthens my character. And resolve to help more people.

Steve Jobs. By Walter Isaacson.

One of the best books Ive ever read. Period.

Long Walk To Freedom. By Nelson Mandela.

Nelson Mandelas one of my heroes. Noble. Courageous. Focused. A visionary. If I could be 1/100 of who he is, Id be overjoyed. This is his autobiography. Youll walk with him through his days as a lawyer, his time as a disruptor, his prison years and his period as the positional leader of South Africa.

Stop Acting Rich. By Thomas Stanley.

Thomas Stanley became famous for The Millionaire Next Door. But this booknot so well knownis exceptional. He explains the concept of The Glittering Rich, shares how too many of us live beyond our means and how to create true financial freedom. Like most of the books I read, I listened to it.

As You Think. By James Allen.

Maybe 10 times. Thats at least how many times Ive read this book. And like all great books, it seems better+wiser and deeper every time I read it. Of course, the book hasnt changed. Just my ability to grasp the information. And understand the concepts. This book is all about the power of your daily thinking. And how it drives your lifes behavior. As you know so well: your behavior shows us your beliefs. And this awesome book will inspire you to build new ones.

The Magic of Thinking Big. By David Schwartz.

Uber-practical. Tons of value. Great concepts, like Go Through Life First-Class. Every student, teammate and human being should read this book (along with How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegiethat work should also be on my list. True.).

Talent is Overrated. By Geoff Colvin.

Read this one a few years ago. Changed the way I viewed Genius. Confirms a lot of the work of exceptional performance researchers like the famed Anders Ericsson that talent is less about natural gifts and far more about devotion to a skill, relentless practice and patience. Another superb audiobook.

Spark. By John Ratey.

One of the best books Ive read in years. Im on my 3rd reading. Shares the latest (and so fascinating) research on how exercise transforms the brain, our performance, our productivity and even builds a new type of brain that is excellent at resisting stress. Please do your life a giant favor. And read this book. Today!

Ok. So there you go. Some of my favorite books. Go study them. And use them.

Please remember, ideasflawlessly translated into reality are the keys to breathtaking success. And you becoming more of who you truly are.

Ohand definitely make some time each day to read. Small little advances in your knowledge base lead to quantum improvements in your performance over time.

Thanks for making the time to read my posts. I work hard to make them valuable for you. So we get you to your best. Sooner versus later.

Be great. And dream even bigger. The world needs you to shine.

Speak soon,

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10 Best Personal Development Books - Robin Sharma's Blog

Home >> Personal Development

Is it Striving to Be Your Best YOU?...

I'm not too sure, to be honest, but I do acknowledge that my own personal growth has fascinated me ever since I was an awkward, shy teenager trying to make sense of the world. And maybe your story is not too different.

The thing is, personal growth IS inevitable, whether you choose to 'study' it on a self-help site, in a book, or just let life teach you as and when you need to be taught. Personal growth is inevitable, with or without training, and it's unending.

The following pages will help you, should you wish to be helped, in that unending personal journey...

How can we improve this Yorkshire landscape? Perhaps we could add a river, or put some birds in the sky. Or, perhaps...

Well, this is what you'll find on the Self Help Collective website - all about the wonderful world of personal growth, as edited by me:

PERSONAL IMPROVEMENT

"There is always something more I can learn!"... A light-hearted look at personal development vs self-improvement, with videos... Read more here!

...PLAN

A plan always starts with setting your goals! That's what Alicia Forest says, anyway. Find links to personal development plans... Read more here!

PERSONAL GROWTH TOOLS

Find what I call an ultimate set of self-help tips, AND some personal development resources that help you put those tips into action... Read more here!

ABOUT SELF-HYPNOSIS

Brief self hypnosis guide explains why self hypnosis is a safe, powerful way to reprogram your mind, and develop your self... Read more here!

(What else should we cover? Let us know! )

(What else should we cover? Let us know! )

Note: Jonathan Lockwood Huie's How-To Self-Help Motivation page also offers great personal improvement tips.

As I say above, I'm not sure what the main purpose of development of self is all about.

I'm not sure I'm that concerned about defining personal development, actually.

But I guess it's more or less about using your strengths to achieve your goals, and the development of your weaknesses (or at least acknowledgement of them) so you can be a better person. Or being the best me I can be. (By the way, that's my job! You have to settle for being the best 'you', you can be. Deal?)

How about you? What is personal improvement for you? This YouTube video, starring Brian Tracy, does a great job of explaining what it means to him.

Here is another way to seek personal growth through tai chi qigong meditation.

Discover a wide range of topics on this 5000-year-old Chinese yoga for health, martial arts & spiritual and personal growth at chikung-unlimited.com. This comprehensive site is all about chi kung/qigong as a way of life, including tai chi chuan, self-defence, health and healing (through diet, acupressure, herbs and home remedies, etc.), yogic breathing, Eastern philosophy & meditation. An inside-out guide to personal growth, you might say.

Also available at chikung-unlimited.com: e-courses, free lessons, vision therapy and free consultation and online support. All designed to see how Chi Kung Unlimited can best meet your individual personal and spiritual development needs.

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Personal Development - Personal Growth | Personal ...