The other day, I was reflecting while reviewing a program I run for separated parents. The program is already well constructed, however I felt that it needed to be sharper, more edgy and challenging, with the aim to foster reflection and self-awareness.

Then I shared some of my reflection with my friend Sue on Skype… always a stimulating chat… We always jump from personal updates to psychology to spirituality and so forth. We both agreed on the need for us, me, you, individuals, to engage more, to take responsibility for our own actions (big debate, I know!), which was so aligned with my thoughts about the need to be more assertive and challenging in some aspects of my work.

This could go on and on… reflecting on assertiveness in our work…the importance of challenging beliefs and values, sometime the authority or the more simple course of things; to have a pro-active role in everything we do. I like this quote from Brene Brown Daring Greatly’s book “if you are comfortable, I’m not teaching and you are not learning”.

The path of self-development is about seeking our own truth, developing our identity, our relationship with ourselves and others; for some, the opening of a spiritual path… the danger though is to stay ego centered, to feel complacent about our own quest and about the rules we re-design for ourselves, in order to live our lives. These are at time much-needed defense mechanism, with the risk though that it will prevent us to go further.

Self growth or self-development is paramount and yet, it will not help the self without any interaction or engagement with the external world. Being self-righteous, or proud about my own growth will not help me nor the world or the environment around me if I don’t engage. This is the paradigm between my inner world, my healing path (and its sacredness) and my spiritual life vs the outer world, its requirement, the friction it will produce when in contact with my encapsulated spiritual self (and the challenge I will experience). With what I know and what I’ve learned, what will I do…?

This is about pro-activeness, taking responsibility, owning our stuff, engaging, becoming a role model. It’s about being vulnerable and still being ok.

With what you know… what will you do?