Personal Growth
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Unconditional Self-Love
I recently spent time at a coffee shop for the first time since the start of the pandemic. It was nice being able to sit by the window, sip from a large mug of latte, people-watch, and write in my spiral-bound notebook. I tried to savour my time there, to not rush to get to a personal writing task. When I got home, while removing my shoes and coat, I reflected on my having completed my writing task and for treating myself to a nice time alone at the coffee shop. I said to myself, “I’m proud of you.” Right after I said those words, though, I wondered When have…
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Quality Over Quantity – The Widow’s Offering
Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.” Mark 12: 41-44 My takeaway from this Bible passage of The Widow’s Offering:…
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A Non-Traditional Approach to Cope With Procrastination and Perfectionism as a Writer
How many times have you tried to “fix” your problem with procrastination and perfectionism by employing mainstream methods – quick fix hacks – that fail to address the reasons behind your deep resistance to and fear of writing? Having tried and failed at using traditional methods to crush, beat, and punch procrastination and perfectionism in the face, I decided to try a non-traditional method that focuses more on healing rather than “fixing” my problems. So I registered for a video course called YOU Are a Writer: Getting Past the Fear and Finally Moving Forward created by writer and writing coach Lauren Sapala. Right off the bat, if you are someone…
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How to Be Likable
In my building, there’s a rooftop deck sparsely equipped with a grill, a picnic table nearby, some shrubs that never seem to be in bloom, and a green bench positioned with its back facing the grilling area about 20 feet away. Several years ago when I went to the roof for a smoke, I met an impressive young man. A very likable person. Let’s call him Maxim. He was with a friend. They were sitting at the picnic table, talking while their dinner was cooking on the grill. I sat on the bench – a good distance away from where they were. Not long after I lit my cigarette, though,…
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How to Make Reading a Regular Habit
Reading, to me, is one of the joys of life and one of the best habits we can incorporate into our lives. Reading nurtured in me the love of words and made me realize the power that words have to move us. As an only child who was socially awkward, with very few friends, reading offered a temporary escape from feelings of loneliness. Books were my friends, and they remain so to this day. I would be a very different person without the companionship and influence of books throughout my life. Reading cultivates our imagination, exercises our thinking muscles, introduces us to different experiences and perspectives, provides insight into our…
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You Can Heal Your Life – Louise L. Hay
“If we are willing to do the mental work, almost anything can be healed.” Louise L. Hay While all the self-help books I’ve read talk about the impact of our thoughts and how they manifest in our lives, this is the first book that talks at length about the mind-body connection and the impact of our negative beliefs on our health. At the beginning of the book, Hay shares her personal philosophy to provide context for what readers can expect while reading the rest of her book. Here are some of Hay’s guiding principles: “The bottom line for everyone is, “I’m not good enough.” “Self-approval and self-acceptance in the now…
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Quotes and Lessons from The Four Agreements
Being the self-help book nut that I am, I had to read Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements. This book is often mentioned in Best-of lists. When I saw it at the bookstore, I was surprised how compact the book is. At 138 pages, it could be read in one sitting. Despite its compactness, there are a lot of nuggets of wisdom and level-headed advice on how to make changes within ourselves, resulting in personal freedom, happiness, and love. The four agreements are like personal codes of conduct. Be Impeccable with Your Word Don’t Take Anything Personally Don’t Make Assumptions Always Do Your Best They seem straightforward enough in theory,…
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If You Feel Like a Bad Person – Compassionate Advice from GaryVee
Compassion: sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. On a recent episode of Tea with GaryVee on YouTube, Gary Vaynerchuk talked to a young man, Alexis Cisnero, who self-described as a negative person. Alexis lives life expecting the worst – he assumes that if anything good ever happens, something inevitably is going to go wrong. He grew up a “black sheep,” was told he was bad from his family, and got in trouble for delinquent behaviour. He has few close friendships and isolates himself by cutting people out of his life. His low self-esteem being as it is, he also fears that he will let other…
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Why I Take Cold Showers: My Self-Love Journey
Personal growth rarely happens inside a cozy cocoon. My default mode is to resist stepping out of my comfort zone. If I could grow into my potential by staying in my comfort zone, I would. But life doesn’t work that way. I’m far from living up to my potential, and I know a big part of it is because I’ve lived a “safe” life by remaining in my comfort zone most of the time. I chose to listen to my fear – the voice in my head that convinced me of my inadequacy and inability to do things that scared me and made me uncomfortable. I chose to believe that…
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4 New Things I’ve Added to My Daily Routine to Enhance Self-Love and Personal Growth
Largely confined to my home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have more time than ever to learn how to love myself and to grow as a person. I know. Yippee. It’s almost like the universe is nudging me to go within since there are so few available distractions outside. I’ve been reading a lot of self-help books and consuming loads of content related to personal growth, which is how I arrived at choosing the following activities to incorporate into my daily routine. Because I started these activities this month, it’s too soon to call them habits. I’ll certainly provide updates of my journey on the blog. Here are four…