5 Ways to Use Personal Development to Empower Yourself
Is there any area of your life that is not quite flowing the way you would like it to be? Anywhere you’re not feeling fulfilled or empowered? We are socially conditioned to look outward when feeling less than or hit a bump in the road – and are inundated by images in the media of how we should look and feel. Personal development is often pushed down the list of ‘to do’s’.
We can be very successful is some areas of our lives and still find ourselves longing for deeper connections, or something more meaningful – something that lights us up, continually on a daily basis. Just keeping up with our busy lives can be so demanding and doesn’t leave much time to discover or rediscover what makes us feel alive. So how can we get back in touch with ourselves, and what we are truly passionate about?
Do a workshop
It can be a day event or a full weekend intensive. Research something that interests you or an area you want to grow, and sign up to a workshop. The idea is to gain a fresh perspective, meet other like-minded people and learn something new that allows you to share a part of yourself, that you may not have for some time. Be good to yourself by investing in you! But cultivating your own gifts, you’ll have more to share with the world.
Find someone who inspires you – A mentor figure
Create the life you want. Strengthen your vision of that life by finding an inspiring figure whose life story inspires you on every level. Choose someone whose dreams, struggles and life accomplishments deeply resonates with your own. Pick up one of their books or download some of their inspiring quotes and put them on the screensavers on your devices, so you see them daily. The mind learns by repetition, so if you are regularly seeing and thinking inspiring thoughts, you’ll be amazed at how the things around you begin to change. As one of my favourite authors Wayne Dyer says, ‘when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change’.
Challenge yourself
Do something that scares you a little. Try something new that’s just enough outside of your comfort zone, that you push yourself to new heights and create new possibilities for yourself. Take a salsa class, singing lesson or go to a toastmasters meeting or seminar and get up and tell a room full of people something about yourself. Try meditation or a sport that you’ve always wanted to try but always had a reason not to start. You’ll be surprised what you discover about yourself.
Look Inward
Mindfulness has become something commonplace even in the corporate world. The value of taking some ‘me’ time is becoming more and more acceptable, as we become aware that we are in fact more productive, the more we recharge, find our passions and maintain a healthy balance in our lives. Our head space is often so full of what surrounds us – what about our inner environment? When is the last time you took ten minutes in your day to find a quiet place, breathe and check in with yourself? Meditation is an easy, effective way to rejuvenate your mind and body. If you’re not sure where to start, try one of the many apps now available which help you create an easy, fun daily practice.
Empower yourself by sharing your talents
The secret of achieving a sense of personal success often lies in doing the things you love. What are your talents? Which of those things make you forget everything else, and simply enjoy the moment? Think about the things that make you feel really alive – then find a way to share them with the people you love and the world. Perhaps go and speak to a group of underprivileged kids, volunteer your time to a cause that speaks to you, or use your creative, organisational or leadership skills to contribute somewhere you wouldn’t normally. It’s all part of your personal development as an individual and creating possibilities for the life you want to create. What new life story are you writing?
