Personal development 3

The road to wisdom

Illustration Carin Noelius

Personality

is the sum of everything we are, biologically, mentally and socially. Maturity means to gather all these parts into a functioning whole. To walk the road to wisdom implies conscious transfer of focus from survival reactions of the ego-mind  to intellect, soul and spirit. This directs our actions more from levels of thought, sense and good will than from ancient mammalian reactions. Our deeply human disposition for love, beauty, wholeness and holiness will be of help in this transition of inner focus and so dilute the stressor effects of the ego.

To walk the road to wisdom

is to see the steps to wisdom

All the way

The steps to wisdom describe a way towards maturity and wisdom. Professionals  usually break down this way into several parts or steps.

Step 1

is today often called ”Mindfulness”.

Step 2

is adressed in modern psychologic and psychotherapeutic praxis but also in religion and spiritual teaching. Its is focused on basic inner development.

Step 3

is the goal of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).

Step 4

Much of this is part of spiritual and religious counselling.

The steps to wisdom

Phases of human maturing


    Step 1  Increased attention to the present

                    • Increased consciousness and inner concentration

                            Mental awareness

                             Awareness of body

                             Awareness of thoughts and feelings

                             Awareness of inner energy

                    • Normal respiration

                    • Mental peace

                    • Rest and relaxation


    Step 2  Increased mental security

                    • A deeply established inner identity

                    • An established meaning of life

                    • Positive mental images

                    • Believing that the well of love lies within myself


    Step 3  Increased harmony in dealing with the world

                    • Increased insight into survival and defence mechanisms

                    • Better coping with stressors and stress

                    • More harmonious relations

                    • Increased maturity in trying to change the world


    Step 4  A whole human being

                    • Integration of life experience, suffering and death

                    • Increased desire for reconciliation

                    • Increased desire to conclude and go on

                    • Increased ability for affection and love

                    • Ever more conscious attitude to life and living

Develop your sense of coherence

Origins of health

Aaron Antonovsky (1923-1994), american-israel professor in medical sociology, described the ability of human individuals to preserve their health in spite of severe strain and high stress. Antonovsky suggested that the reason for this could be a sense of coherence (SOC) within the person. Recurring difficulties will boost resources for resistance. This bestows us with more experience of life and a feeling that life after all is predictable and therefore under-standable. And this creates the sense that diffi-culties are manageable. In this way we develop mental strength and gain better resistance to stress.

”I understand my world, I can handle what is happening and I feel that it is meaningful to go in for it”.

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