No one can make you serve customers well. That's because great service is a choice. Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.
He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey .
He handed my friend a laminated card and said, "I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement." Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment. This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!
As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, "Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a Thermos of regular and one of decaf." My friend said jokingly, "No, I'd prefer a soft drink." Wally smiled and said, "No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice." Almost stuttering, Harvey said, "I'll take a Diet Coke."
Handing him his drink, Wally said, "If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today." As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card. "These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio." And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air-conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.
Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts."
Tell me, Wally," my amazed friend asked the driver, "have you always served customers like this?" Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. "No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do.
Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'
That hit me right between the eyes," said Wally. "Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more."
"I take it that has paid off for you," Harvey said." It sure has," Wally replied. "My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands any more. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action."
Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call.
The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting. Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
How about us? Smile, and the whole world smiles with you... The ball is in our hands!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Story Time -- The Professional
I've found a wonderful story to share with you today. It's called the Professional and I hope you enjoy it. Wishing you lots of love and happiness!
The Story Begins....
A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her small daughter was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication. She got back to her car and found that she had locked her keys in the car. She didn't know what to do, so she called home and told the baby sitter what had happened.
The baby sitter told her that the fever was getting worse. She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door. " The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been left on the ground, possibly by someone else who at some time had locked their keys in their car. She looked at the hanger and said, "I don't know how to use this." She bowed her head and asked God to send her help.
Within five minutes a beat up old motorcycle pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "This is what you sent to help me?" But, she was desperate, so.... She was also very thankful. The man got off of his cycle and asked if he could help. She said, "Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?"
He said, "Sure." He walked over to the car, and in less than a minute the car was opened. She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "Thank you so much! You are a very nice man." The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour." The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud,"Oh, Thank you God! You even sent me a professional!"
-author unknown
The Story Begins....
A woman was at work when she received a phone call that her small daughter was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication. She got back to her car and found that she had locked her keys in the car. She didn't know what to do, so she called home and told the baby sitter what had happened.
The baby sitter told her that the fever was getting worse. She said, "You might find a coat hanger and use that to open the door. " The woman looked around and found an old rusty coat hanger that had been left on the ground, possibly by someone else who at some time had locked their keys in their car. She looked at the hanger and said, "I don't know how to use this." She bowed her head and asked God to send her help.
Within five minutes a beat up old motorcycle pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "This is what you sent to help me?" But, she was desperate, so.... She was also very thankful. The man got off of his cycle and asked if he could help. She said, "Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?"
He said, "Sure." He walked over to the car, and in less than a minute the car was opened. She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "Thank you so much! You are a very nice man." The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour." The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud,"Oh, Thank you God! You even sent me a professional!"
-author unknown
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Cultural Creatives
I love travelling and meeting people from all over the world. I consider myself a citizen of the world and I have always been fascinated with different cultures. Deep interest in this area led me to a Masters Degree in 1996 from the US in International Studies and Intercultural Communication.
My most recent work with an international NGO was as an Intercultural Specialist and Educator. I am always looking forward to my next international assignment either as an educator, trainer, consultant or presenter/ active participant for conferences related to social development or social change in the context of education.
I recently found an article posted on the website of "Alliance for a New Humanity", about a new sub-culture called the "Cultural Creatives." I found it quite interesting and could relate to it very well. I realized there are new dimensions to the definition of culture and this particular definition is developing very interestingly. I will list the characteristics below, and see if you can relate to it also.
Cultural Creatives
A new study by Ray and Anderson proving that millions of people worldwide are "Being the Change."
Here is a list of those characteristics; if you have 10 or more of them, you're probably a cultural creative -- and you will be in good company, although you may not know it yet!
My most recent work with an international NGO was as an Intercultural Specialist and Educator. I am always looking forward to my next international assignment either as an educator, trainer, consultant or presenter/ active participant for conferences related to social development or social change in the context of education.
I recently found an article posted on the website of "Alliance for a New Humanity", about a new sub-culture called the "Cultural Creatives." I found it quite interesting and could relate to it very well. I realized there are new dimensions to the definition of culture and this particular definition is developing very interestingly. I will list the characteristics below, and see if you can relate to it also.
Cultural Creatives
A new study by Ray and Anderson proving that millions of people worldwide are "Being the Change."
Here is a list of those characteristics; if you have 10 or more of them, you're probably a cultural creative -- and you will be in good company, although you may not know it yet!
- Love nature and are deeply concerned about its destruction
- Strongly aware of the problems of the planet and want to take action to curb them
- Would pay more taxes or higher prices if the money would go to clean up the environment and stop global warming
- Give a lot of importance to developing and maintaining relationships
- Place great importance on helping others
- Volunteer for one or more good causes
- Care intensely about psychological or spiritual development
- Want more equality for women at work and want more women leaders in business and politics
- Concerned about violence and the abuse of women and children
- Want politics and government to emphasize children's education and well being, the rebuiliding of neighbourhoods and communities, and creation of an ecologically sustainable future
- Tend to be optimistic about the future and distrust the cynical and pessimistic view offered by the media
- Want to be involved in creating a new and a better way of life
- Are concerned what big corporations are doing in the name of profit: exploiting poor countries, harming the environment, downsizing
- Have finances and spending under control and are not concerned with overspending
- Dislike the modern emphasis on success, wealth and luxury goods
- Enjoy experiencing and learning about other ways of life
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Story Time -- A Glass of Milk
One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house.
However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water! She thought he looked hungry, so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything" she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said ... "Then I thank you from my heart."
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit. Many year's later ... that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in the specialist, Dr. Howard, for consultation to study her rare disease. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.
Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown, he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that dayon, he gave special attention to her case. After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the billwas sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words ..."Paid in full with one glass of milk"(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly. Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: 'Thank You, God,that Your love has spread broad through human hearts and hands."
The good deed you do today, may benefit you or someone you love, at the least expected time. If you never see the deed again, at least you will have made the world a better place - And, after all, isn't that what life is all about?
However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water! She thought he looked hungry, so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything" she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said ... "Then I thank you from my heart."
As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit. Many year's later ... that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in the specialist, Dr. Howard, for consultation to study her rare disease. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.
Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown, he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that dayon, he gave special attention to her case. After a long struggle, the battle was won.
Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the billwas sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words ..."Paid in full with one glass of milk"(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly. Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: 'Thank You, God,that Your love has spread broad through human hearts and hands."
The good deed you do today, may benefit you or someone you love, at the least expected time. If you never see the deed again, at least you will have made the world a better place - And, after all, isn't that what life is all about?
Monday, May 26, 2008
A Universe in Harmony
You know how much I love quotes, and I was lucky to be inspired last night to come up this one:
The creation of a peaceful world within oneself, and the connection to all on earth with pure love, is our spiritual destiny for a totally harmonious universe.
-- Shareen Iqbal
The creation of a peaceful world within oneself, and the connection to all on earth with pure love, is our spiritual destiny for a totally harmonious universe.
-- Shareen Iqbal
Loving Yourself
The World's Most Unusual Therapistby
Dr. Joe Vitale
www.mrfire.com
Two years ago, I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who cured a complete wardof criminally insane patients--without ever seeing any of them. The psychologist would study an inmate's chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person's illness. As he improved himself, the patient improved.
When I first heard this story, I thought it was an urban legend. How could anyone heal anyone else by healing himself? How could even the best self-improvement master cure the criminally insane? It didn't make any sense. It wasn't logical, so I dismissed the story.However, I heard it again a year later. I heard that the therapist had used a Hawaiian healing process called ho 'oponopono. I had never heard of it, yet I couldn't let it leave my mind. If the story was at all true, I had to know more.
I had always understood "total responsibility" to mean that I am responsiblefor what I think and do. Beyond that, it's out of my hands. I think that most people think of total responsibility that way. We're responsible for what we do, not what anyone else does. The Hawaiian therapist who healed those mentally ill people would teach me an advanced new perspective about total responsibility.His name is Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. We probably spent an hour talking on our first phone call. I asked him to tell me the complete story of his work as a therapist.
He explained that he worked at Hawaii State Hospital for four years. That ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous. Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients. It was not a pleasant place to live, work, or visit.
Dr. Len told me that he never saw patients. He agreed to have an office and to review their files. While he looked at those files, he would work on himself. As he worked on himself, patients began to heal."After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely," he told me. "Others who had to be heavily medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no chance of ever being released were being freed.
"I was in awe."Not only that," he went on, "but the staff began to enjoy coming to work. Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was showingup to work. Today, that ward is closed."This is where I had to ask the million dollar question: "What were you doing within yourself that caused those people to change?""I was simply healing the part of me that created them," he said. I didn't understand.
Dr. Len explained that total responsibility for your life means that everything in your life - simply because it is in your life--is your responsibility. In a literal sense the entire world is your creation.Whew. This is tough to swallow. Being responsible for what I say or do is one thing. Being responsible for what everyone in my life says or does is quite another.
Yet, the truth is this: if you take complete responsibilityfor your life, then everything you see, hear, taste, touch, or in any way experience is your responsibility because it is in your life.This means that terrorist activity, the president, the economy--anything you experience and don't like--is up for you to heal. They don't exist, in a manner of speaking, except as projections from inside you. The problem isn't with them, it's with you, and to change them, you have to change you.
I know this is tough to grasp, let alone accept or actually live. Blame is far easier than total responsibility, but as I spoke with Dr. Len, I began to realize that healing for him and in ho 'oponopono means loving yourself. If you want to improve your life, you have to heal your life. If you want to cure anyone--even a mentally ill criminal--you do it by healing you.
I asked Dr. Len how he went about healing himself. What was he doing,exactly, when he looked at those patients' files?"I just kept saying, 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you' over and over again," he explained. That's it? That's it. Turns out that loving yourself is the greatest way to improve yourself, and as you improve yourself, your improve your world.
Let me give you a quick example of how this works: one day, someone sent me an email that upset me. In the past I would have handled it by working on my emotional hot buttons or by trying to reason with the person who sent the nasty message. This time, I decided to try Dr. Len's method. I kept silently saying, "I'm sorry"and "I love you," I didn't say it to anyone in particular. I was simply evoking the spirit of love to heal within me what was creating the outer circumstance.Within an hour I got an e-mail from the same person. He apologized for his previous message. Keep in mind that I didn't take any outward action to get that apology. I didn't even write him back. Yet, by saying "I love you," I somehow healed within me what was creating him.
I later attended a ho 'oponopono workshop run by Dr. Len. He's now 70 yearsold, considered a grandfatherly shaman, and is somewhat reclusive. He praised my book, The Attractor Factor. He told me that as I improve myself, my book's vibration will raise, and everyone will feel it when they read it. In short, as I improve, my readers will improve."What about the books that are already sold and out there?" I asked."They aren't out there," he explained, once again blowing my mind with hismystic wisdom. "They are still in you."In short, there is no out there.
It would take a whole book to explain this advanced technique with the depth it deserves. Suffice it to say that whenever you want to improve anything inyour life, there's only one place to look: inside you."When you look, do it with love."
This article is from the forthcoming book "Zero Limits" by Dr. Joe Vitale and Dr. Len
Dr. Joe Vitale
www.mrfire.com
Two years ago, I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who cured a complete wardof criminally insane patients--without ever seeing any of them. The psychologist would study an inmate's chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person's illness. As he improved himself, the patient improved.
When I first heard this story, I thought it was an urban legend. How could anyone heal anyone else by healing himself? How could even the best self-improvement master cure the criminally insane? It didn't make any sense. It wasn't logical, so I dismissed the story.However, I heard it again a year later. I heard that the therapist had used a Hawaiian healing process called ho 'oponopono. I had never heard of it, yet I couldn't let it leave my mind. If the story was at all true, I had to know more.
I had always understood "total responsibility" to mean that I am responsiblefor what I think and do. Beyond that, it's out of my hands. I think that most people think of total responsibility that way. We're responsible for what we do, not what anyone else does. The Hawaiian therapist who healed those mentally ill people would teach me an advanced new perspective about total responsibility.His name is Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. We probably spent an hour talking on our first phone call. I asked him to tell me the complete story of his work as a therapist.
He explained that he worked at Hawaii State Hospital for four years. That ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous. Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients. It was not a pleasant place to live, work, or visit.
Dr. Len told me that he never saw patients. He agreed to have an office and to review their files. While he looked at those files, he would work on himself. As he worked on himself, patients began to heal."After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely," he told me. "Others who had to be heavily medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no chance of ever being released were being freed.
"I was in awe."Not only that," he went on, "but the staff began to enjoy coming to work. Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was showingup to work. Today, that ward is closed."This is where I had to ask the million dollar question: "What were you doing within yourself that caused those people to change?""I was simply healing the part of me that created them," he said. I didn't understand.
Dr. Len explained that total responsibility for your life means that everything in your life - simply because it is in your life--is your responsibility. In a literal sense the entire world is your creation.Whew. This is tough to swallow. Being responsible for what I say or do is one thing. Being responsible for what everyone in my life says or does is quite another.
Yet, the truth is this: if you take complete responsibilityfor your life, then everything you see, hear, taste, touch, or in any way experience is your responsibility because it is in your life.This means that terrorist activity, the president, the economy--anything you experience and don't like--is up for you to heal. They don't exist, in a manner of speaking, except as projections from inside you. The problem isn't with them, it's with you, and to change them, you have to change you.
I know this is tough to grasp, let alone accept or actually live. Blame is far easier than total responsibility, but as I spoke with Dr. Len, I began to realize that healing for him and in ho 'oponopono means loving yourself. If you want to improve your life, you have to heal your life. If you want to cure anyone--even a mentally ill criminal--you do it by healing you.
I asked Dr. Len how he went about healing himself. What was he doing,exactly, when he looked at those patients' files?"I just kept saying, 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you' over and over again," he explained. That's it? That's it. Turns out that loving yourself is the greatest way to improve yourself, and as you improve yourself, your improve your world.
Let me give you a quick example of how this works: one day, someone sent me an email that upset me. In the past I would have handled it by working on my emotional hot buttons or by trying to reason with the person who sent the nasty message. This time, I decided to try Dr. Len's method. I kept silently saying, "I'm sorry"and "I love you," I didn't say it to anyone in particular. I was simply evoking the spirit of love to heal within me what was creating the outer circumstance.Within an hour I got an e-mail from the same person. He apologized for his previous message. Keep in mind that I didn't take any outward action to get that apology. I didn't even write him back. Yet, by saying "I love you," I somehow healed within me what was creating him.
I later attended a ho 'oponopono workshop run by Dr. Len. He's now 70 yearsold, considered a grandfatherly shaman, and is somewhat reclusive. He praised my book, The Attractor Factor. He told me that as I improve myself, my book's vibration will raise, and everyone will feel it when they read it. In short, as I improve, my readers will improve."What about the books that are already sold and out there?" I asked."They aren't out there," he explained, once again blowing my mind with hismystic wisdom. "They are still in you."In short, there is no out there.
It would take a whole book to explain this advanced technique with the depth it deserves. Suffice it to say that whenever you want to improve anything inyour life, there's only one place to look: inside you."When you look, do it with love."
This article is from the forthcoming book "Zero Limits" by Dr. Joe Vitale and Dr. Len
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Discovering the Real You
As I continue on my journey of self-discovery of becoming my true being, I would like to share with you some of my findings. I've got this lovely book by Beverly Engel titled "Healing Your Emotional Self" and in it she deals with a lot of issues in reference to parenting/caretakers impact on the development of self. However, I choose to focus on the topic "Discovering the Real You" from a personal development perspective.
Engel says that in order for you to raise your self-esteem and feel better about yourself, you need to find out who you are -- not who you were told you are, not the persona you took on in order to please your parents, but the real you.
Engel states that one of the most effective ways of discovering who you are is to pay attention to your emotions. In fact, some define self-awareness as being conscious of our moods, and our thoughts about our moods.
Daniel Goleman defines "Self awareness -- recognizing a feeling as it happens -- is the keystone of emotional intelligence.... the ability to monitor feelings from moment to moment is crucial psychological insight and understanding.... People with greater certainty about their feelings are better pilots of their lives, having a surer sense of how they really feel about personal decisions."
Engel goes on to say that we can learn about ourselves through the emotions we experience and by being mindful about it. Once you are aware of your emotions, it can help you to change them.
Another aspect of self-discovery described by Engel is the experience of who you are, that is not a result of your history and conditioning and is not affected by your beliefs or opinions. This aspect of you is referred to as your true nature, your being or your essence, because it is the ultimate nature of who you are. Essence also refers to the part of you that is the most permanent and unchanging -- the part of you that is central in defining who you are.
I love this concept of discovering your essence because I believe it is actually our true definition of who we really are. It is the core of who we are. I would also like to call it as a discovery process of re-connecting to the spirituality that is within all of us.
Engel only talks about discovering your essence very briefly in her book, as her main focus is on how to heal the damage to your self-image and self-esteem caused by negative parental messages and offers treatment to help you lead a happier and healthier life. Since I'm a huge fan of happpiness, I'll read anything that helps to heal this world.
Quotes to ponder upon for today:
When the mind soars in pursuit of the things conceived in space, it pursues emptiness. But when the man dives deep within himself, he experinces the fullness of existence.
-- Meher Baba
We must never allow other people's limited perception to define us.
-- Virginia Satir
Self-nurturing means, above all, making a commitment to self-compassion.
-- Jennifer Louden.
Engel says that in order for you to raise your self-esteem and feel better about yourself, you need to find out who you are -- not who you were told you are, not the persona you took on in order to please your parents, but the real you.
- No one can tell you who you are.
- You are the only one who is capable of determining who your true self is.
- You will need to discover and create your true self.
- You will need to look deep inside to begin to find your true reflection.
Engel states that one of the most effective ways of discovering who you are is to pay attention to your emotions. In fact, some define self-awareness as being conscious of our moods, and our thoughts about our moods.
Daniel Goleman defines "Self awareness -- recognizing a feeling as it happens -- is the keystone of emotional intelligence.... the ability to monitor feelings from moment to moment is crucial psychological insight and understanding.... People with greater certainty about their feelings are better pilots of their lives, having a surer sense of how they really feel about personal decisions."
Engel goes on to say that we can learn about ourselves through the emotions we experience and by being mindful about it. Once you are aware of your emotions, it can help you to change them.
Another aspect of self-discovery described by Engel is the experience of who you are, that is not a result of your history and conditioning and is not affected by your beliefs or opinions. This aspect of you is referred to as your true nature, your being or your essence, because it is the ultimate nature of who you are. Essence also refers to the part of you that is the most permanent and unchanging -- the part of you that is central in defining who you are.
I love this concept of discovering your essence because I believe it is actually our true definition of who we really are. It is the core of who we are. I would also like to call it as a discovery process of re-connecting to the spirituality that is within all of us.
Engel only talks about discovering your essence very briefly in her book, as her main focus is on how to heal the damage to your self-image and self-esteem caused by negative parental messages and offers treatment to help you lead a happier and healthier life. Since I'm a huge fan of happpiness, I'll read anything that helps to heal this world.
Quotes to ponder upon for today:
When the mind soars in pursuit of the things conceived in space, it pursues emptiness. But when the man dives deep within himself, he experinces the fullness of existence.
-- Meher Baba
We must never allow other people's limited perception to define us.
-- Virginia Satir
Self-nurturing means, above all, making a commitment to self-compassion.
-- Jennifer Louden.
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