Evolution begins with a choice. Choice resumes from the beginning the idea of a voluntary act. In the context we are talking here, there is no mechanical evolution. That being one of the biggest misconceptions. There is no guaranteed glorious finale. Inertia will not help here. Though it does in terms of personal development, personal achievements. But not here.
Continue reading ‘Possible evolution and capacity for development’ »
The ideal guru is the dead guru. You can just picture him in any way you want. Since he doesn’t affect you directly, you can just imagine him the way you want. He can’t contradict you, you can turn his words in any way you want. You can reference him as you like, as confirmation of your ideas. The worst that could happen is getting into an argument on whether he was right or wrong about that. Sort of a comfort zone. But what if the guru is still alive?
Try to remember last year’s resolutions. Did you succeed in keeping them? How many commitments were there? And how many did you keep? Do you remember them at all? After answering yourself to these questions, consider the new ones that just came to life thanks to your enthusiasm at this time. I am sure you are very determined to keep them. Your confidence is at its apotheosis as it should be at every New Year’s resolution time. But just right before it explodes, give a chance to decency. Based on your previous rate of keeping your resolutions, what are the odds for these new ones?
Continue reading ‘Best Practices for New Year’s Resolutions’ »
“Realizing that you know less as you are on the way towards spiritual development.” This thought can be often heard as a proof of some sort of awakening. Although hearing it too often from the same person is – for me at least – a certain sign of standing in front of a parrot. Even if it resembles a human. Just listen more carefully for a moment and you will hear again about the extraordinary realization of not knowing. Awakening (to this) then brings conclusions on how the extraordinarily wonderful spiritual path needs to be followed from now on. “Now I see the light!” [irony]Can you see here the immanent humility and piety? The modesty of not knowing![/irony] Still, we are witnessing the birth of a new knowledge. The knowledge of where to from here. The first steps towards insanity.
Should self development be considered a form of autodidacticism? How far can one go in relying on his own abilities to learn? My take here is to handle this tough questions on both levels of personal development and spiritual development. Personal development deals with the unfolding of all abilities required for a healthy personality in the current social and cultural milieu. Spiritual development deals with the essential parts of human life and being. But can autodidacticism work well for both developmental quests?
Regarding personal development trends, I came to notice a paradoxical situation. By definition, it is all about building up a successful person. In time, there were major influences on the discipline, although its major characteristic is to come up with something new and revolutionary as often as possible. Just to be in touch with modern times. Even if it’s the same old recipe, a repackaging makes it shiny and lots of new adepts are gathering around it. Also, some of the recipes are standing strong on scientific grounds, many are simply based on the strong belief of the follower. Thus, approaching such adepts with some regular conversation, I was surprised how easily and normally we handled even sensitive religious matters. But not the ones related to their own, accepted and followed personal success recipes or paths. Seemingly, these systems of personal success beliefs give something more that even religions fail to deliver.
Continue reading ‘Where the revolt against the older world got us’ »
By the mid of April I wrote an article expressing my concerns regarding the infatuation of ‘The Secret’ ’s concept and followers. It took only 5 months to see some unpleasant facts coming to light about the preachers of this “revolutionary” nonsense. Strangely, this also came as a relief for the discomfort I started to feel regarding quite a few personal development blogs to which I subscribed in time. It was saddening to see how the original ideas behind these blogs on personal development turned slowly into a belief system. All centered around the Law of Attraction, as presented in ‘The Secret’. Reducing it all to the simple minded formula (often verdict) of “this is so ’cause this is what you have attracted”. Almost like ‘The Secret’ and the ‘Law of Attraction’ turned into a religious conviction. So, now there is this situation of “The Secret” ’s David Schirmer being exposed.
In straight accordance with your age, you are now in a distinct phase of your life where you are redefining yourself. Self-definition is an ongoing process, for as long as you live. Our lives are subdued to a historical presence and an existential reality. The historical presence is also subdued to live in a comparative reality. In every time sequence of our lives, the comparative approach is remodeling our identity. And comparative approach is dependent on the cultural, social and historical context. This dependency is what creates the frames for us, mostly in how we can manage to define ourselves. This self-definition needs to be ever reassuring in order to keep our balance. We live now, so is the actual context in favour of this need for self-definition? With all the progress of the modern world, is it easier today to define ourselves?
There is a possible evolution for man. This is a self-development blog, so I am talking in that context. Even if I don’t like the term ‘evolution’ to be used when it comes to what man can become, still I consider it a fact. There must be a possible evolution. The question is if the evolution of man will occur by all means - in the close or distant future - or not. Is evolution a necessity?
Continue reading ‘Do you see evolution as a necessity or as a possibility?’ »
The concept of the human being seen as a machinery is not a new one. But in spite of that, it is one of the most avoided ones when it comes to self development. So let’s take a closer look at it. There must be something about it, as this avoidance seems strikingly disturbing. The sentiment of freedom, knowing that we are acting freely, being able to decide about our lives - this is how we like to picture ourselves. Is this how we really are?
