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How to Grow As a Person — Get Out of Your Head & Do Your Heart Work!

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Change Your Life, Self-Leadership Skills.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Think back to third grade, do you remember the papercut on your finger? It was very painful and you vowed to never touch another piece of paper again, right? Of course not! You bandaged the wound, and you kept doing your schoolwork because that’s how you grow as a person. You let it heal and you moved on.

Yet when it comes to emotional hurt, we hold onto it way past its expiration date. We regret being vulnerable and vow, “I’m never going to let myself be hurt like that again.” Whether it’s from a romantic breakup or a painful rejection at work, when we experience emotional pain, we tend to shrink back into our shells. Out of self-protection, we often drift away from our hearts and begin living in our heads. We become more and more shut down and closed off.

Self-Betterment vs. Self-Realization — How to Live Up To and Enjoy Your Full Potential

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Change Your Life, Self-Leadership Skills.

“Your own self-realization is the greatest service you can render the world.” ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi

Don’t you think the term self-betterment is inadequate? I know it’s a common way of expressing your wish for self-improvement. However, the term self-realization is more encompassing, because it conveys the thought of getting to know yourself better and learning to maximize your strengths. Self-betterment seems to be a judgment that you’re not good enough…you need to be better. But you are good enough. And this is how I know that…

I love being a learner. I don’t read or study just to put information in my head. I want to see how it can make my life more satisfying and how I can use it to help others. Does learning make me a better person today than I was yesterday? No. I may have become more skilled in one area. Or I may have more understanding. But my worth as a human being has not become higher. I simply realize that I am capable of so much more and I want to achieve my full potential.

Whether I’m splitting hairs over self-betterment, I’ll let you decide. The main point is that whatever we call it, we are responsible for maximizing our potential, because what we do matters. Our small steps can change the world.

Are You Showing Up Authentically? Be Proud, Be Courageous, Be You!

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Life Skills, Mindfulness, Self-Leadership Skills.

“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let out true selves be seen.” ~ Brene Brown

Being authentic is an overused buzz phrase today, yet I think it still has value, because when it comes to showing up authentically, don’t you find that there are parts of yourself that you hide from others, perhaps even from yourself? And when you’re called on to do something out of your comfort zone, do you say, “I can’t,” when you really can? Or perhaps you promise you can, when you know you won’t.

Do You Know How to Engage the Power of Pause? It’s Transformational!

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Mindfulness, Self-Leadership Skills.

“It’s a transformative experience to simply pause instead of immediately filling up space.” ~ Pema Chodron

Shelly, a client, is a person of action. Her brain is constantly whirling, and she always has something to say, which often causes her to superficially listen to others. And while she gets a lot done personally, she tends to either micromanage or shift between projects so fast it makes her team scratch their heads wondering what’s going on. To bring more balance to her life, together we worked out that she needed to engage The Power Of Pause to be more mindfully aware and present, thereby keeping her team in step with her. As a result, now they’re working cohesively and are accomplishing the goals they’ve set for themselves.

Could you benefit from using The Power Of Pause more often? Well, if you feel stressed (Who doesn’t?) or have said or done something you regret, then the answer is “Yes!” I think we all feel better when we mindfully learn to use this superpower more often.

Being Present — The Daily Practice of SEEING the People in Your Life

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Mindfulness, Self-Leadership Skills.

“Hurrying and delaying are alike ways of trying to resist the present.” ~ Alan W. Watts

The world’s greatest resource is not its gold, silver, coffee or chocolate, despite what some people say. The world’s, or rather, OUR greatest resource is people. The people we’re joined to by family and romantic relationships. The ones we rub shoulders with at work. The people we meet from across the globe online. Even the countless people we don’t see, because we’re not being present, as we run daily errands.

Nothing has made this more apparent than the 6-foot-distancing COVID-19 mandate. Close contact means so much to us. Raise your hand if you’re missing hugs from friends and family or coffee dates with colleagues. I am! Without it, we’ve become stressed and depressed. Sadly some have even ended their lives in suicide, because they couldn’t handle it. Clearly, being self-aware of our need for social contact is only half of the equation to being happy.

The future of our planet requires a commitment to being present and truly seeing the people who cross our paths. Whether in business or social settings, the well-being of each person contributes to a sustainable and enjoyable life journey.

Blog

Continually grow as a person and find your work/life balance

How to Grow As a Person — Get Out of Your Head & Do Your Heart Work!

Self-Betterment vs. Self-Realization — How to Live Up To and Enjoy Your Full Potential

Are You Showing Up Authentically? Be Proud, Be Courageous, Be You!

Do You Know How to Engage the Power of Pause? It’s Transformational!

Being Present — The Daily Practice of SEEING the People in Your Life

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