Transforming Yourself

Personal development is a part of the overall human evolution process, which comprises training the cognitive and physical functions. A human body and mind have an incomparably wider range of opportunities for growth and development than any other representatives of fauna have. The personal transformation presumes complex training for body growth, mental growth, spiritual growth, flexibility, and durability. As anyone in fitness knows that certain workout contributes to separate muscle growth, the same is with brain transformation. On the other hand, you can only develop something prerequisite for the future transformation. To develop masculinity in a baby or teach foreign languages are possible but premature actions.

The growth and development of any human being interlace and interchange stage-by-stage. It reminds to alternate horizontal and vertical movements: the accumulation of knowledge and skills (horizontal growth), then a transfer to the next level (vertical growth), followed by the development of this level (horizontal coordinate system).

Human growth processes reach a peak early in childhood when they extend with maximum intensity. With age, both physical and intellectual transformations slow down, and from a certain period the majority experience the processes of the opposite direction: intelligence decreases, constructive thinking decelerates, memory fades, and muscles gradually atrophy. Interestingly, the process of human evolution can continue at that moment.

Personal development is one of the most contradictory issues in practical psychology because it is comprehended very differently due to the terminological confusion. Having the term "personal development" in use, psychologists have at least four different meanings and four different issues to solve, accordingly. These are the questions: "What are the mechanisms and dynamics of a personality?", "What are the personal achievements during the process of development?", and «What are the paths of human development”?

In the conversation about the development as a process, we discuss the dynamics of the process, its various mechanisms. The transformation may be the result of learning the world, as well as resolving inner conflicts, or may be the result of personality formation or reformation: the process of personality development is multifaceted and complex. Understanding the "personal development" as a complex but mostly natural process is more typical for theoretical psychology that studies biological, social, emotional and cognitive processes.

As for the results of the individual transformation, remember the classical paradigm: growth is an example of quantitative change; the development predisposes changes in quality. The most important is to collect pieces of evidence of the new formations that designated as qualitatively new, and to have a possibility to examine the stages of this successful transformation.

Our particular interest is in the development of an individual, which we can implement without assistance. Appeal for personal development only makes sense if you have a strength for realization. How is it possible? Only if you possess relatively high level of energy potential, minimal psychomotor skill and criticism. The transformation of the personality is not anonymous or involuntary process, but the conscious activity of human. You have all the resources to transform your personality through evolutionary pathways, and if succeed help the others achieve the same goal.

Take the Plunge

How often have you come to realize the need for improvements and changes in life, but could not make the first move towards the goal? While you are relatively young and full of energy, it is the perfect time to take a plunge “into the river of life.” However, you hesitate, procrastinate, and eventually leave the idea to change your life completely; change the way you look, think, perceive the world, treat surroundings, etc. Or you planned a move to a different area or a larger city, but reflection seized all resources of your body and mind and you are devastated. Whereas the stronger have already made the move and successfully build a career and life in a new place. What is lying behind the weakness? Why is this happening? Most often, fear induces uncertainty and doubt: a fear of failure; a fear of losing something already known; a fear of a complete failure; a fear of appearing foolish; a fear of rejection; a fear of being judged or ridiculed, etc. How to overcome this fear and deal with it? There are some tips to help you overcome doubts and gain confidence and determination for a complete change.

Determine the importance. Think and measure the relevance of the change to overcome the setbacks. In addition, decide if there is any urgency in such a global shift: perhaps, you find that not necessarily move to another town to get a job of your dreams. And all that attracts you is the very fact of living in the big city, which will not make you happy, rather the contrary. You will miss the highways without traffic jams and sincere talk to friends or relatives, who now are far away from you.

Imagine the most terrible consequences. Use your imagination to visualize the most horrible incidents that can happen to you if you fail after making the final decision to plunge. You will realize that the most tremendous consequences may appear in a comical view, and failures be corrected without much effort. In your dreams, you will realize the ‘home return’ is not the end of life, and you will find a better-paid job you like more. In any case, you get invaluable experience, which then will help you avoid mistakes in the future.

Imagine a happy future. Now try to visualize your successful future: think about how your life will change for the better if you make this important step. You will finally make new smarter friends, find a new better job, and receive overall greater opportunities in a large city. Now you have freedom, independence, success...

Look at problems from a different angle of vision, develop a three-dimensional self-view: regarding yourself in the recent past, present and near future. Although this current decision is frightening, this is a small evolutionary step in the future environment. Therefore, no sense to procrastinate your marvelous life in the future exceptionally on the ground of its ambiguity.

Believe in your success! If you decide to do something, do it with a positive attitude, courageously overcoming obstacles and achieving a positive result. Remember: life is a movement, a change, a pleasure. It is always possible to switch back, but even if it is not, you can still make a difference. None of your friends or relatives will ever take responsibility for your life. It is yours and only.

Decide if You Are Ready to Change

There is a traditional Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times." And for many centuries no one, in particular, seek to argue. Of course, you could object that people are destined to change ourselves and to change the universe, moving towards the development of civilization. However, at the same time, at the level of a single human destiny, global changes seem quite disastrous. Indeed, what is the change itself? This is a violation of a usual way of life, warm and comfortable; no need to strain to do something, quite calmly go with the flow, while everything is clear and understandable. Moreover, any changes perceived as negative, because they require action, without which the life remained so comfortable in its slow turn. To be precise, a vast majority of human beings escape changes, never accept them and subconsciously transmit that knowledge to the same posterity to grow indifference. When remembering the childhood, everyone thinks that the world that was much better than current reality of information age with all its effects, such as technical revolution and Internet, intelligent people and gadgets, and lots of good food. It is incredible, but each new generation repeats the same repeatedly.

On the other hand, if you consider your life carefully, it is nothing but a continuous change. First of all, external alterations: we grow, develop, and degrade getting older. This is the paramount rule of the universe, irreversible, irresistible, and eternal. The flow of life is permanent and stable, even the nuclear explosions never interrupted it. Regardless political disturbances and global climate changes, the Earth remains the true perpetuum mobile. Secondly, we are constantly changing social roles: a boy becomes a student, a student turns into a professor, a professor becomes a husband, a husband comes into a father, a father turns into a grandfather. Therefore, you better be strong enough to somehow accept these metamorphoses, become reconciled with it to live in harmony with yourself and surroundings. Some find this easy to accomplish, and some cannot overpower it.

Why is it so serious? It is difficult to comprehend; some intuitive grasp is needed obviously. Perhaps, it all starts with the fact that we are getting used to living and acting in a certain scenario, and it is difficult to abandon the role even years after. Hence, there is a desire to adjust the surroundings for own good or not getting involved to leave the existing order of events. Once having decided to submit authoritarian parents, in your own family you are not likely to play a leading role. But it may happen that the most comfortable existence in the present day would interfere in the future, even if it is required by social rules and ethical norms.

Nevertheless, we can assume that fear of change is a consequence not of habit and a kind of self-defense. Perhaps people think that any dramatic change is like a computer reboot, which does not bring any deliberate future, or save any memorable moments of the past. There is nothing more tragic in life than the utter impossibility to change of what you have already done.

Yet, life goes on, perpetuum mobile never takes a break. Everyone has been learning to live from birth to death, developing proper skills, and simply been dreaming. In one way or another, it alters the outlook, behavioral pattern, general attitude. Each small step toward a new object is a great leap to reveal unexplored horizons. Any change is a new action, a rebirth of a new entity.

We are afraid of any innovations, suspecting to hold a threat and require us to put some efforts to reform. Remember to think positively and feel fulfilled with what you have now because you live for the moment, past is done, and future may never come. As Marcus Aurelius said: 'He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe.'

Take a Step Back: Where Are You in Life?

Everyone has the past, and you can learn from it, but you cannot change it. The vast majority of people's ideas are wrong, even the most brilliant personalities are far from being flawless. However, some people only accumulate the errors, make reckless and immature mistakes. Repeated mistakes mean deliberate choice, weighted and final. Others learn to correct their mistakes on the grounds of recent past life proper analysis, so the responsibility for the wrong decisions does not fall on shoulders.

As a rule, in the past of any human being there are both good, proud moments (happiness, victory, talents, skills, achievements, etc.), and bad, shameful facts, being kept somewhere deep inside their mind. If not possible to fix, these bad memories are good to get rid of, because they make you feel pain repeatedly. These are failures, disappointments, and any negative experiences with the grave consequences, various types of suffering and pain that will never disappear anywhere if a person does not thoroughly revise the past.

How to revise the past, whatever it is? Ideally, the past should give strength to enjoy life in the present and provoke an idea for how to build the prosperous future. To accomplish the task, you should first learn your past, and second, purify it to make your life happy. It is in your past to find the answers to the most important questions of 'Who are you?' and 'What for?' If you want to be strong, decent, successful person - your past must be a secure basis, not a bog.

Do not forget to remind yourself that your past is totally under control, no matter what is happening around you. Remember who you really are, but forget all bad experience you had, except some vital facts to assimilate for the future expertise. Certainly, you are the one searching for spiritual experience or any immersion, but emotional background correlates with thoughts, so take it seriously. When you know about it, you realize your true nature, which is invariable from the past, through the present, to the future.

How to deal with your past? Definitely, do not escape it, do not be afraid of it, do not get mad on and feel offended, and the last, but not the least, - do not pretend you have no dark stains in the past. You need to analyze the past and do that without a fear. Strive to reveal the truth, to find out the course of events that predetermined present.

Search for the people swept out of your life with time, there must be real treasures among them. Weed out negative thinkers, arrogant and narrow-minded people and lazy, immature personalities. Follow strong, intelligent, sensitive, bald personalities, pull them back to your life, at least try it! If they agreed to come back, they would be the best your critics, because they know the origin of your personality, without bluff.

Stay Positive

Begin with a return to the understanding of the basics. If you have enough food to eat today, clothing to keep your body warm, and the roof over your head, plus your heart beats with regular frequency, you can be completely satisfied with your current life. Good health is a great asset, all the other good and benefits can be considered an advantage.

In fact, it does not matter whether you own a mansion by the sea with a pool full of lobsters, or have a perfect body. If you possess the basics listed above, you can get everything else, including wealth. Do not waste your energy generating negative thinking about the environment and poor you in, because you do not have some of the additional benefits given above. You can gain success if you learn how to control your thoughts.

If you are somewhere information-addicted, stop overloading your brain with vast amounts of abstract information and have your analytical biomechanics rest for a while. Even a one-week pause makes you healthier after recycling that never used the information you have been collecting for years. Read some fiction, or science books, go walking, meet an old friend, listen to music, learn cooking, call mother, such a substitution.

If you have the opportunity to get out of the negative discussion, do not hesitate. Imagine angry folks trying to persuade you into something, screaming, raising hands, and simply driving you mad. Everyone is invited, but better to leave off until it is too late. Do not waste your precious time on negative talks that destroy your energy and positive vibrations. If you cannot get out of the negative talks, use blocking: abstract your mind from this negative inflation and think of something pleasant, your new idea, for instance.

Do not let the fear of the future phobia conquer your mind. It is detrimental for your mental health, so do your best resisting it. Keep in mind that according to many opinions, the world is "always" falling apart. If you could go back in time (100 years or more), you would have heard the exact same complaint that you hear today. "Things are getting too expensive," "the current generation so spoiled","this country is going to hell." Energy is unstable and changes constantly, but it has always been and always will be one the most lucrative assets. People may suffer due to the possible energy crisis, but as an economic downturn, it is temporary. Nevertheless, we are still here, the Earth is rotating around the axis, men work, women work too and get pregnant, everybody is happy.

Remember that even in recession times many people remain successful and prosper, partially because of a capability of positive thinking despite all miseries. Focus on opportunities the providence so generously spreads among those, who live in harmony with the world. Find ways that will allow you to be happy no matter what is happening around you. Keep your vibrations high. Do something every day to increase your positive energy and build your life the way you really want.