There is a strange paradox that exists inside most of us. Most people will have a good idea of just how much our parents, and our upbringing, affect us as adults. But there is a strange twist to what we have come to expect. This post explores some of the different ways we imitate – or rebel against – our upbringing.
A reader asked me once – why is this entire blog about inner work? What about changing from the outside? In my experience, true change begins from within, from the consciousness that underlies everything else. What exactly does this mean? Find out more.
To finish off 2008, this post is a collection of thoughts on spirituality based personal growth itself. It revolves around being a healthy critic of this field, and allows me a little friendly rant. On the practical side, it hopefully serves as a guide when you explore personal work in the upcoming year, and also as a disclaimer for my own writings.
In the previous post, we spoke of the importance of developing personal boundaries. The question remains, then – how? This post covers recognition, reflection, preparation, and finding the internal courage; all important preparatory steps.
What are boundaries? Are they a sign of selfishness, or a sign of strength? Is saying yes a sign of weakness, or a sign of generosity and compassion?
Boundaries can come in many different forms, but at its core, they simply involve saying No. No to giving something you don’t want to give; no to behaving in a certain way; no to being treated in a way that will hurt your heart, your body, your totality.
Learning is an inevitable activity that is essential for living and success. It can be formal or informal. One approach is to become smarter… emotionally, not intellectually. In other words, it’s mainly about nurturing emotional intelligence not IQ. Find out more!
Homework. What feelings does that word conjure up for you? Dread?
Well, suffer some more, because I’ve got some homework for you. You all know that one of the failures in the world of Personal Development is reading and not practicing. Many people read, get a boost of inspiration, and then don’t apply whatever they’ve learnt.
UrbanMonk.Net is a very practical blog, and so I’d like to set a few challenges and assignments for you.