There are seven choices of maturity and character for personal growth.
Choosing to teach versus being taught,
Honest self-evaluation versus self-criticism,
Seeking unity versus encouraging disunity,
Living by faith versus living by fear,
Being governed by truth versus being governed by feelings,
Choosing growth as against immediate gratification and choosing to grow in self-control rather than react emotionally.
If you are seated,
Simply sink into your chair.
If you are sleeping,
Feel yourself sink into the bed.
And if you are up and about and moving around,
It's perfectly fine.
Simply feel yourself relax.
And if it is safe to do so,
You can close your eyes.
Bring your focus to your breath,
The natural flow of your breath.
Simply observe the air as it enters your nostrils and as it exits your nostrils.
And with each breath that you take,
Feel yourself becoming more and more relaxed,
More and more grounded.
And we start to move through these seven choices.
The first,
Teaching others versus being taught and led.
And you can imagine yourself sitting in a grand library,
Its shelves aligned with books.
And these books represent the vast knowledge you've encountered in your life.
And you notice two inviting spaces.
In one space,
You're simply sitting quietly,
Learning from the books,
Learning from others who have walked different paths.
And in another space,
You see yourself guiding others through the books,
Sharing your insights,
Sharing your experiences,
Sharing your wisdom,
Your knowledge.
And as you explore these spaces,
Bring to mind a moment where you shared your knowledge.
Maybe you helped a colleague,
Maybe you explained something to a friend.
And as you bring this to mind,
How did it feel to teach?
How did it feel to offer guidance?
And now shift your focus to a time where you allowed yourself to be led,
Where you were open to learning from someone's experience.
Maybe a workshop you attended,
Maybe some advice you got from a mentor.
And think about how that experience enriched you.
So how do you balance teaching and learning in your life?
Are there areas in your life where you can be more open to guidance?
And are there areas where you can share more of what you know?
Breathe in wisdom and breathe out any barriers to this balance.
And moving to the second choice,
Honest self-evaluation versus self-criticism.
And you can picture yourself standing by a tranquil lake,
Its surface so still,
Its surface so clear that it reflects your image perfectly.
And this reflection symbolizes your self-perception.
It shows you both your strengths and your areas for growth.
And as you look at your reflection,
Think back to a recent experience where you evaluated your performance,
Maybe after a work presentation or maybe after a personal project.
Think about whether you were able to assess yourself fairly,
Acknowledging both what went well and also what could be improved.
And at the same time,
Think about any moments where self-criticism may have crept in,
Self-criticism which may have overshadowed your achievements,
Which may have led to you judging yourself harshly.
And how did this self-criticism affect your mindset?
And think about how you can practice honest self-evaluation that supports your growth,
Rather than self-criticism that hinders it.
And breathe in self-awareness and breathe out self-judgment.
Moving to the next choice,
Proactively seeking unity versus encouraging disunity.
And you are now in a vibrant garden,
A vibrant garden where various plants grow together in harmony.
Some parts of the garden flourish,
With different plants supporting each other,
While others are tangled and overgrown,
Struggling to thrive.
And think of a time when you helped create unity in your life,
Maybe by resolving a conflict within your family or group of friends,
Or by encouraging teamwork at your workplace.
How did your efforts contribute to a more positive environment,
A more cohesive environment?
And now consider any moments where you might have inadvertently sown seeds of disunity,
Maybe through a misunderstanding or lack of communication or indulging in gossip.
And how did this impact your relationships?
How did it impact your community?
So what can you do to foster more unity in your personal and professional circles?
Are there any relationships that can benefit from your proactive efforts?
And breathe in harmony and breathe out division.
Moving to the next one,
Living life by faith versus living in fear.
You are now standing at the edge of a forest and before you are two paths.
One well-lit and inviting,
Symbolising faith and trust.
And another dark and foreboding,
Representing fear and doubt.
Recall a recent decision where you chose faith,
Perhaps taking a leap into a new opportunity.
Trusting in your abilities,
Trusting in the support of those around you,
Trusting in an all-supporting universe who is always looking for your greater good.
And how did this choice move you forward?
And now think about a time when fear held you back from pursuing something that you wanted.
Maybe an opportunity you passed up or the challenge you avoided.
And how did that decision affect your growth?
So how can you cultivate a mindset of faith?
How can you trust in your journey even when the path ahead is uncertain?
And I invite you to breathe in courage and breathe out fear.
Moving to the next choice,
Being governed by truth versus being governed by feelings.
And you can visualise a scale,
A weighing scale balancing two elements.
On one side,
A bright steady light representing truth and objectivity.
On the other side,
A shifting colourful mish symbolising emotions and feelings.
And think back to a recent decision you made.
Were you able to weigh the facts?
Were you able to consider the reality of the situation even when emotions were running high?
Maybe you faced a difficult conversation where you had to balance empathy with honesty.
And now bring to mind a time where emotions may have clouded your judgements.
Which may have led you to take a decision which you later questioned.
So how can you ensure that your decisions are guided by truth while still honouring your feelings?
So breathe in clarity and breathe out confusion.
The next choice,
Motivated by growth versus motivated by happiness.
You are now standing at a crossroad.
Two paths in front of you.
One path is smooth and easy representing immediate happiness and comfort.
The other,
It's steeper.
A more challenging climb symbolising growth and long-term fulfilment.
And think about a recent situation where you chose growth.
You chose growth while making sacrifices on short-term happiness.
Maybe you took on a challenging project or you spent time developing a new skill.
How did this choice of growth contribute to your sense of purpose and achievement?
And now think about a time when you opted for immediate happiness.
Relaxation over a task that could have advanced your goals.
And how did that decision affect your progress?
Daily choices,
Daily choices.
How can you align your daily choices with long-term growth rather than short-term conflict?
And I invite you to breathe in determination.
Breathe out complacency.
And the last choice,
Growing in self-control versus emotional reactiveness.
You're sitting by a calm sea and its waters are deflecting a sense of peace,
A sense of self-control.
While just nearby,
A stormy ocean rages which symbolises emotional reactivity.
Recall a recent situation where you maintained your composure even when faced with stress or provocation.
Maybe it was during a difficult conversation or while managing a challenging task.
And in this situation,
How did your self-control benefit you?
And now think about moments when you reacted impulsively,
Letting emotions drive your actions.
And how did those reactions impact your relationships?
How did they impact your achievement of your goals?
And what strategies can you adopt to enhance your self-control,
To ensure that your actions align with your values?
And I invite you to breathe in calmness and breathe out impulsiveness.
Take a moment now to appreciate,
To acknowledge any insight you've gained.
Take a moment to appreciate the reflections you've made.
Recognising these choices,
Recognising these choices is the first step towards embodying them in your life.
And you can take a deep cleansing breath,
Feel the air filling your lungs,
Renewing your energy and focus.
And exhale slowly.
As you exhale,
Release any tension,
Release any doubts.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
And as you go through your day,
As you go through your week,
Take with you the gladity,
Take with you the intention to make choices that align with your true self,
With who you want to be as a person and the path that you want to go on.
