​Day 347 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

​SELF AWARENESS
 
Prayer seems like such
an outdated process,
when conceived as reciting words
to a God we don’t know.
 
Meditation seems like a bit
of a wacky process,
when conceived as sitting waiting
to discover yourself.
 
Contemplation seems like a bit
of a self-indulgent process,
when conceived as reflecting
on our life or situation.
 
But these are all 
just processes,
people trying to work out
what is going on and
what we are here for.
 
So, if these processes
don’t work for you,
create your own,
with your words and activities.
Let’s call it self-awareness.
 
Make this process your own.
Give it form and structure.
Allocate some time and
then share what you learn.
 
For the world needs
your understanding,
your compassion and your love.
It needs your process.

​PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1.  What is your process  of self awareness?  What do you call it? How does it work? 

​Day 346 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

​SCHOOL CURRICULUM

There’s a new school curriculum.
based on needs
rather than subjects.
It is one that empowers
children and students to
use their skills to the full and
to become agents of change.
 
It addresses eight key questions.

How we can everybody in the world
have food today?
How can everyone in the world
have a home today?
How can everyone in the world
be safe today?
How can everyone in the world
look after our planet today?
How can everyone in the world
work together today?
How can everyone in the world
use their skills to help others today?
How can everyone in the world
be kind today?
How will each of us
change the world today?

​Day 345 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

​ONLINE COMMUNITY
 
Our online business behaviour has
largely been reduced to self-interest and
personal promotion, that is unsustainable
and fails to support everyone.
 
We have apps where we do little
or no networking, have so called friends
who we rarely speak with, and
email funnels designed to chase our money.
 
We are capable of so much more.
Collaboration can help us to
leverage our experience, support each other,
and get all the help that we need.
 
We can be open to new relationships
and business possibilities, not limited to
selling stuff, ego massaging, vanity projects
or holding onto what is ours.
 
We can move to collective activities,
freely offer our support and reach out
to those who need our expertise and skills.
Each of us can start a real online community.

​Day 344 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

​CONCENTRATION
 
You cannot fill a full glass.
So empty some.
Empty out some more or
start with an empty glass.
Leave space within you
for new thinking.
Do not dilute your new thoughts
Concentrate on your true way.

DANCING   QUEEN

They’re going to play songs
or hymns or music at your funeral.
Anything you would you like to hear?
 
What about the songs
that we laughed and danced to,
and that you still dance to?
 
Make a list so that we can get everyone
up to dance and laugh with you.
So that we enjoy all being together.

NON-STICK

The opportunity of life
is to focus on what we will become
and not to be stuck
in who we are.
 
The opportunity of today
is to focus on what we will become
and not to be stuck
in who we are.
 
The opportunity of this moment
is to focus on what we will become
and not to be stuck
in who we are.

THEOLOGY
 
You don’t have to
go anywhere,
to  be with   God.
He is with you now.
 
You don’t have to
say anything,
to   communicate with God.
For he knows you well.
 
You don’t have to
give any time  to God,
for he is time,
and he gives  this  to you.
 
You don’t have
to believe in God,
for he gives you life
and believes in you.
 
You don’t have to
apologise to God
for he is love,
and has forgiven everything.
 
You don’t have to
ask God for anything,
for it has already
been given to you.
 
You don’t have to
think of God as ‘out there’
for he is already in you,
as you are in him.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1.  Write  down  your theology - your understanding of what God is.
2. What is  your relationship with God? How would you describe this? ​

​Day 340 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

WRITER'S BLOCK 

I have never suffered from
writer's block.
I have never worried about
the words not coming,
or writing a daily quota.
 
You see, for me
the words are a by-product,
and not the main objective.
My aim is to sit quietly and
this is the process that may,
or may not, produce words.
 
The real joy, wonder
and contentment comes
in the process of sitting quietly.
For this is the  block we can 
all build  upon each day.

DECISION MAKING

No matter how old you are,
you can still change the world.
No matter what you’ve been through,
you can still change the world.
No matter what your current situation is,
you can still change the world.

It only takes a moment,
one new idea,
a different thought,
an unusual event,
a chance encounter,
an unexpected conversation,
a surprise meeting, or
some words of encouragement
for you to begin.

This is why you’re here,
and it will happen.
You are about to start afresh.
So, get ready to change the world.

And if you don’t believe this,
then how can it happen?
If you don’t think this is possible
then how can it begin?
And, if you don’t see that I am waiting
to help you, then how can you answer?

Your age is important,
for we all need your experience.
What you’ve been through really counts,
for we all need  your wisdom.
The fact that you are still here, tells us,
that you can change the world.

Everything that has happened
has led you here.
 Your plan is unfolding as it should.
And you are reading this now,
precisely because, this is the moment
you decide to change the world.

​INVERSE PROPORTION

By stepping back
from the world.
By spending time
on our own.
By moving further
into our being.

And by going deeper
into ourselves,
we in fact move away
from all notions of self,
to be closer to where
we truly belong.

By going inwards
we really go outwards,
and we see more and more,
that we are connected
to all that ever was,
and ever will be.

​PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1.  How are you learning to go deeper into yourself? 
2.  What is your  'self'?