“Life is an inward journey. No matter our background or beliefs, each of us is on a road trip to love. And it's a journey that begins within.”
A few weeks ago, someone asked me for some tips I could give them to help heal from within. For some, healing from within means something health-related. For others, it’s a matter of the heart. Regardless, I truly believe each of us is healing and when we heal ourselves, we help heal the world.
Healing and personal development are the same. Whether we call it healing or working on developing ourselves personally, we’re taking action to improve our lives. The action we take is a practice we commit to over and over again. It’s not something we do once and then we're finished.
Just recently, I was explaining to my class how personal development is like going to the gym. We don’t work out and get our bodies or health to a certain point and say, “Great, I’m in good shape. I don’t ever have to work out again.” Personal development is something we make a commitment to so that even when things are going well, we're ensuring an inner state of well-being when life happens.
Personal development can be a little tricky because unlike going to the gym, life doesn’t supply us with a specific guide on how to handle situations like an exercise plan does for better abs. Our lives and relationships are a little more complex.
When I made the commitment to my personal development, I felt a little like Goldielocks and the Three Bears. I read a lot of different books, listened to a lot of different teachers, and tried out a lot of different suggestions before I found a few specific techniques that began helping me to feel more peace in my life.
Before I was committed to my personal development and healing my life, I wasn’t very happy. I was pretty good at putting up walls and blaming everything outside of myself for my unhappiness. On the outside, I seemed fine. On the inside, I was in a constant state of comparison. Constantly comparing myself and my life to everyone else’s, not realizing the damage it caused to my self-esteem and personal happiness.
When it comes to physical health, there are many diets, fitness routines, or exercises we can do. My roommate loves CrossFit and feels like it’s improved his health (as well as his butt and abs) since he started a few years ago. I’ve always loved running and was a Barry’s Bootcamp enthusiast for almost 10 years. Until recently, since I’ve discovered hot yoga. The exercise or routine doesn’t matter, our improved health comes from loving what we do while we do it. It’s what helps us stay committed even when it’s really difficult.
The same is true for our personal development. If we don’t enjoy a particular method of inner-work or aren’t dedicated to a consistent practice, we won’t reap the benefits of a peaceful life. Improved peace and inner health is the ultimate goal of any personal development practice. It might be packaged differently, but whether it’s meditation, 12-steps, spirituality, religion, therapy, or working with a life coach, the ultimate goal is to experience more peace in our lives.
The way in which we achieve more peace can vary, but what I’ve found in my own life is that by committing myself to specific exercises, I strengthen my experience of peace and continued healing from within.
Each of us has gifts we came here to share and I believe the more at peace we are with ourselves and our lives, the more we’re able to share our gifts with the rest of the world.
Maybe you already have a personal development plan that works for you. If it does, great! May this serve as a simple reminder for you to keep going. If not and you’re interested in experiencing more peace in your life, I think you’ll enjoy this free 5-step guide I created called, 5 Ways to Heal From Within: A Simple Guide to Help Bring You More Peace. In it, I share my five favorite exercises you can do, and continue doing, to bring more peace and healing to your life.
A world with more of us committed to our personal development and to sharing our gifts is a world full of more joy, purpose, and peace.
Oh, and the good news is that unlike CrossFit, bootcamp, or yoga, no matter your experience with personal development or where you're at along your journey, you will see the benefits of these exercises today — whether a novice or pro.
Thank you for your commitment to helping create a more peaceful planet.
All my love,
Chris :)
Click here and download your free 5-step guide today.