Personal development

As people, we have been evolving and changing throughout our lives, and this includes our beliefs. Our personalities were not the same when we were fifteen, twenty-five, and thirty-five. Our life circumstances transform our behaviors and reactions into new patterns, even though we retain some important characteristics. Our social environment is also changing, and with that change, our understanding of ourselves and the world around us slowly evolves. With the help of friends and family, we often succeed in overcoming critical periods in life. Further, after the crisis, we grow and become stronger, with richer psychological capacities and stress resilience—becoming a slightly different person.

However, sometimes we feel like the circumstances are too complex, so that level of stress is overwhelming and just “too much” to handle. When it happens, it is very reasonable to ask for professional help, because doing so will open space for entering a new level of personal development. Following the transformation, we will emerge stronger and more self-actualized individuals. Personal development is fulfilled by small changes, which are difficult to observe because they are slow and happen over long periods of time. But it is also important to note that some periods, short or long, have an unusually high level of tension. These periods are the ones when the need for change is strongest.

We might perceive every crisis as a chance for personal development. Every crisis is letting us expand our awareness of ourselves and the world we inhabit, to bravely go beyond our limits and change some of our dysfunctional beliefs and behaviors. If we had such a positive outlook on crises, we would do a large part of the work, and what is left is to talk with the counselor to achieve a more coherent, stable, and wholesome version of ourselves. Along with this, our interpersonal relationships will grow with us and will be more harmonious, peaceful, and concordant. It is perfectly natural and human to feel fear of change, but it is also possible, with willingness and professional help, to step into a brighter and better future.