Why Personal Development Is Painful & What To Do About It?

If you’re consciously taking the path of personal development I congratulate you.

I started out on my conscious journey of self-discovery in my teenage years when I began seeking answers to difficult issues I was experiencing in my life.

After reading hundreds or perhaps thousands of self-help and personal development books, I’m still amazed at how painful yet fulfilling the personal growth process can be.

Here are my five top tips for keeping yourself moving forward on your path no matter what.

Keep on walking through the fire. When it starts to feel uncomfortable you’re usually just on the cusp of a big breakthrough. So try visualizing the symbolic fire you need to walk through to emerge to victory on the other side. And remember that nothing worthwhile comes without some kind of test.

Don’t allow yourself to shrink back into the old, smaller version of you. It’s tempting when you feel full of fear to back down, to shrink, or to go back to your old way of doing things. Don’t. This won’t serve you and you’ll just be called to take the same challenge again because your unique spiritual path requires you to face that which is most difficult for you.

Love and accept ALL parts of you. This was the most difficult aspect of personal growth for me. As a child I was criticized and grew up feeling that I wasn’t quite ‘good enough.’ This manifested in the form of panic attacks and low confidence. It took me years of immersion in personal growth to fully accept myself. I’m still a work in progress but I’m much more at peace these days. Inner peace is within you when you learn to accept and love all the parts of yourself, including those that are not so pretty.

You can’t please everyone all of the time. If you’re a people-pleaser the only person who is paying the price is you. From this moment on commit to pleasing yourself first. When you do that you’ll be more able to truly serve others without resentment. Practice saying no sometimes. It’s liberating and you’ll be surprised by how much extra time you create in your life when you’re not trying to please everyone all of the time.

Lovingly release the old to make room for the new. As you continue down your path of personal growth you’ll find that some of the people and situations in your life cannot continue the journey with you. This can be disturbing and may cause you to shrink back to being the old you. When you feel that happening, be aware, and pull yourself back on to your path. Limit time with people who don’t support your personal growth and who try to hold you back because they feel threatened. 

So remember:

The faster you grow, the more painful it will be because you’re like a chameleon releasing your old form and taking shape into a new one that serves you better.

Don’t be discouraged. Release the old and embrace the new as you step out boldly on your unique path to self-discovery.

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I’d love to hear what you think.

Have you found the personal growth process painful and if so have you any strategies
that have helped you to keep on growing as you hit the bumps in the road?

Please share your comments or questions below and I’ll answer you
personally.