Isn’t it funny that we spend a huge amount of our early lives getting an education; learning to read and write, learning mathematics and the history of the country we live in, but that we never get taught how to live life itself? The simple skills on how to communicate with people, how to be a successful, happy person and how to design our own lives are left out. What a waste!
If we’re lucky our parents teach us some basic values and skills. Values and skills that are based on their own experiences on what they think are good for us. They teach us to the best or their abilities.
Although good indented, most of the times this isn’t enough. Unless our parents are perfect role models, we have to learn it the hard way. We live our lives by trail and error. Sometimes this works out, sometimes it doesn’t. We may end up in jobs we are not particularly good at and relationships that do not work, simply because we didn’t learn how to achieve our full potential.
Disillusioned about life itself we come to the conclusion that the dreams we had when we were kids didn’t come true. No wonder so many people are depressed and search for something better in life. They rely on gurus, self-help books or personal development programs to get ahead. All to make up for the essential life lessons that were left out from our education.
Now, the above may not be true for all of us but fact is that most people never achieve their full potential and discover who they truly are; their authentic self.
How do we achieve our full potential?
For me Personal Development isn’t about learning new tricks. It’s about enabling us to discover our True Self and core values: getting rid of all the bad habits, limitations and false beliefs we may have gathered over the years. This means that one method that is good for me may not be the right approach for someone else, if our core values are not the same. Btw, this is one reason why there are so many personal development methods, programs and self help books. Most of those methods fit the author or the teacher, but if there is no match with the core values and beliefs of the reader or trainee they will not work.
Now of course you can go your own path of self discovery: A path that is fun, inspirational and rewarding along the way. A path in which you can achieve great results. But have you ever considered coaching? A good Life Coach is trained (and an expert in) helping people to enable themselves, helping them to design their own lives. He helps them to become the director of their life: Being in control of life, rather then live controlling them.
Life Coaching may not be the cheapest option available. It’s sure more expensive than buying a self-help book. But I suggest you see it as an investment: An investment that will change your life for the better. 4 or 5 session may be all you need to set you on the right track, to discover new possibilities and goals in life. Life Coaching will give you a new perspective on where you currently are and where you are heading to.
I enjoyed your post. I am thinking that there might be a reason to utilize both new tricks and discovering your true value.
I wanted to make a comment and say what a great article this was. I agree with you 100% when you say that you are not trying to find new tricks rather you would invest your time in core values.
I think we all are in a constant battle to find a baseline to be normal or to feel great and that through the path of life we often forget that life is a journey of discovery that is so wonderful and profound and not bleak and full of dead ends.
thank you again for the value you put out .
Sidd
Well said. That’s a good point you made about how we never get taught how to live life itself. I wonder how different my life would be growing up if I would have been educated about life in general.