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Evolution of Values: Embracing Change
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 16 minutes ago
...See more Values are fundamental beliefs and principles that guide our attitudes, behaviors, and decision-making. They play a crucial role in shaping our identities and influencing the way we interact with the world. It's fascinating how these values can transform throughout our lives due to a variety of factors. Life experiences often serve as catalysts for changes in our values. These experiences can be both positive and negative. For instance, personal achievements, such as landing a dream job or achieving a long-term goal, can lead to a greater emphasis on values like ambition or perseverance. On the other hand, facing adversity, loss, or hardship can prompt a reevaluation of values, placing greater importance on qualities like resilience, empathy, or compassion. Cultural exposure and diversity also contribute to the evolution of our values. Interacting with people from different backgrounds and belief systems can broaden our perspectives and lead to a deeper appreciation for values like tolerance, inclusivity, and cultural sensitivity. Moreover, as we progress through various life stages, such as adolescence, adulthood, or parenthood, our priorities and values often shift to align with our evolving responsibilities and personal growth. Think of a value that you have now that you did not used to have, or one that has become more important to you. What life experiences led to this value changing? How does this change affect you now? Please share your thoughts and experiences on how your values have evolved. Reflecting on the evolution of our values can help us embrace change while cultivating the Being (Relationship to Self) Dimension of the Inner Developmental Goals.
Cognitive Skills Activity: Future Mental Health Scenario Analysis
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 September 2nd
...See more Ready to develop critical thinking, complexity awareness, perspective skills, and long-term orientation? We have an interesting activity for you! Scenario: Imagine a future where the prevalence of mental health challenges continues to rise due to various societal factors, such as increased stress, social isolation, and economic uncertainty. Instructions: 1. Research the Scenario: Gather information from credible sources on the factors contributing to the projected increase in mental health challenges. Explore different viewpoints and expert opinions on this issue. 2. Identify Key Factors: Identify the key factors and driving forces that contribute to the complexity of the scenario. Consider both short-term and long-term factors, such as the impact of technology, healthcare policies, and social support systems. 3. Create A Scenario: Develop 1 more future scenario that envisions how mental health challenges might evolve over the next 5 years. The scenario should cover a range of possibilities, from optimistic to pessimistic. 4. Analyze and Evaluate: Apply critical thinking skills to analyze and evaluate each scenario. Assess the credibility of the evidence and assumptions underlying each scenario. 5. Complexity Mapping: Create a visual representation (e.g., a mind map or diagram) that illustrates the interconnectedness of factors and causes within each scenario. Highlight potential cause-and-effect relationships. 6. Perspective Consideration: During your analysis, actively seek and incorporate insights from diverse and contrasting viewpoints. Consider how different stakeholders, including individuals, healthcare providers, and policymakers, might perceive and respond to each scenario. 7. Long-Term Vision: For each scenario, explore the long-term implications and potential outcomes for mental health and society as a whole. Formulate a vision or commitment that aligns with the broader context and takes into account the extended future. 8. Compare and Reflect: Compare and contrast the different scenarios, considering their complexity, credibility, and long-term implications. Reflect on what you've learned about the future of mental health and your ability to think critically and anticipate future developments. Share your brainstorming, analysis, or reflections in the comments to this post!
Compassion: The healing light.
by QueenAsphodel17
Last post
 4 minutes ago
...See more “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – Dalai Lama In the current state of the world, with so much violence and stress - compassion is the healing medicine that we as a collective need the most. When we cultivate compassion, not only do we learn how to empathize with others, but we also learn to pour kindness and understanding on ourselves.  ✨ What is compassion?  According to a research, Compassion entails five elements that apply to the self or others:  1) recognising suffering,  2) understanding the universality of suffering in human experience,  3) feeling for the person suffering and emotionally connecting with their distress,  4) tolerating any uncomfortable feelings aroused (e.g., fear, disgust, distress, anger) so that we remain accepting and open to the person in their suffering, and  5) acting or being motivated to act to alleviate the suffering  (Link [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5315311/#:~:text=They%20concluded%20that%20compassion%20entails,any%20uncomfortable%20feelings%20aroused%20(e.g.%2C])  ✨ How do I practice compassion?  - Every morning I set an intention to be understanding, to be accepting and to be attentive to my inner self. Compassion starts with you. When you fill your cup, you can pour on other's cups too. Here's a intention prayer that Dalai Lama used to make every morning: “Today I am fortunate to have woken up, I am alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings, I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others, I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”  - Meet more people, make more connections with others. The more you learn about the diversity of human lives the more you'll find yourself opening up to new perspective. Meeting people will help you understand that despite all the differences in identities and opinion, at the root of it all, we are all human beings. We need food, and shelter, and love. We crave attention, and recognition, and affection, and above all, happiness. .- Another practice I’ve found helpful is loving-kindness meditation. It encourages sending thoughts of goodwill and care to myself and others, helping me build a more compassionate mindset.  🪞 Reflection:  🖋️ Tell us about a time when compassion from someone has deeply impacted you?  🖋️ Share two ways you can show compassion to someone today.
Feeling acceptation
by patientShell1003
Last post
 9 minutes ago
...See more Self acceptance has always been a difficult subject for me. I tend to get into relationships where I'm the fixer, whether it's romantic, platonic, or just peer. I want to help someone and I often done the white scrubs of a clinical therapist and sit with one knee hooked over the other (even if it hurts after an hour). That's all to say that I often have problems with being stifled. It's easy to nod and accept others, but recognizing your own boundaries can be difficult. My values and beliefs take such a back seat, I don't even look at them half the time! But it's not healthy to forget yourself so often. To ignore your feelings for the sake of others.  It comes as second nature to so many of us, but sometimes we treat ourselves so dismissively. This is a behavior I had to recognize and actively dwell over. After a long day of listening to my family's struggles and woes, I sit down and journal. I made myself a rule to never journal about any one else's problems- to leave that for their own journals. Mine is for me. How do I feel? What are my goals? Did I have fun today? What did I succeed at? What are my plans tomorrow? It is important to accept ourselves and our feeling.    That's a form of mindfulness! It helps strengthen your relationship with yourself. It's not selfish to say 'I'.    That's a hard fact to learn.  When you put your feelings on the back burner, we run the risk of it boiling over out of eyesight.    Don't forget to tend to them too. 🌼 What ways have you found to help you stay mindful and accepting of your own feelings?
Presence and Appreciation
by EventHorizons
Last post
 12 minutes ago
...See more While reading through the IDG Course, it came to my attention that there are a few qualities I need to focus more on — a couple of those being presence and appreciation. On a daily basis I try to remind myself to bring attention back to the present and to the body or whatever I might be feeling at any given moment, but this doesn’t always “work.” Often it can be a struggle, especially when emotions are intense or heightened and the body is in a state of tension and restlessness. There’s the urge to distract yourself from the experience and do something else. For me, this isn’t always helpful and the presence of those feelings and sensations frequently becomes more noticeable and influencing when I try to distract myself from them.  Appreciation for life, the universe and everything within it is also something I think on each day, but it’s easy to forget exactly how to appreciate things, especially when it’s difficult to feel such appreciation — as it is for me.  How can you remain present, appreciative and aware of the beauty in life; in yourself and others? Daily gratitude, searching for inspiration and feelings of awe, practicing active listening and empathy, exposing myself to different kinds of art, media, books and other forms of potential inspiration. Journaling and talking about experiences that help me feel closer to the self, universe and nature.
Evolution of Values: Embracing Change
by SoulfullyAButterfly
Last post
 16 minutes ago
...See more Values are fundamental beliefs and principles that guide our attitudes, behaviors, and decision-making. They play a crucial role in shaping our identities and influencing the way we interact with the world. It's fascinating how these values can transform throughout our lives due to a variety of factors. Life experiences often serve as catalysts for changes in our values. These experiences can be both positive and negative. For instance, personal achievements, such as landing a dream job or achieving a long-term goal, can lead to a greater emphasis on values like ambition or perseverance. On the other hand, facing adversity, loss, or hardship can prompt a reevaluation of values, placing greater importance on qualities like resilience, empathy, or compassion. Cultural exposure and diversity also contribute to the evolution of our values. Interacting with people from different backgrounds and belief systems can broaden our perspectives and lead to a deeper appreciation for values like tolerance, inclusivity, and cultural sensitivity. Moreover, as we progress through various life stages, such as adolescence, adulthood, or parenthood, our priorities and values often shift to align with our evolving responsibilities and personal growth. Think of a value that you have now that you did not used to have, or one that has become more important to you. What life experiences led to this value changing? How does this change affect you now? Please share your thoughts and experiences on how your values have evolved. Reflecting on the evolution of our values can help us embrace change while cultivating the Being (Relationship to Self) Dimension of the Inner Developmental Goals.
Beyond Words: The Consistent Actions Which Build Lasting Trust
by MarinaLexi
Last post
 10 hours ago
...See more "Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships." - Stephen Covey. It's easy to undervalue trust or see it as harmful, especially if we have experienced hurt before, but every interaction has some level of unspoken trust. We trust bus drivers to know how to drive safely, shop assistants to help us, doctors to heal us, and strangers on the street to give us directions when we are lost. (I rely on the last one a little too often, as I'm always lost!) Trust is integral to every interaction we have as human beings; it is the foundation of meaningful relationships, fostering safety, understanding, and mutual respect. Trust allows us to build resilience against life's challenges by creating strong bonds which promote mutual support; without it, society would not function. To help individuals hone their ability to foster trust with others, I have compiled a list of eight steps to build trust:  - Communicate clearly and consistently; this is the foundation of understanding, and defining boundaries, and aids the formation of reliability, which is a core facet of trust!  - Demonstrate reliability by following through on promises and commitments.   - Being honest with others (Of course, this comes with caveats! Surprise parties usually involve some level of deception, but the intention behind it matters. Trust requires good intentions for others, not just for yourself.)  - Take responsibility by owning the commitments and promises you have made.  - Treat others with respect; Be mindful of their boundaries, the ways they prefer to be treated, and remain curious and open-minded to circumstances that differ to yours.  - Hold yourself accountable for the consequences of your actions and apologise when you make a mistake.  - Cultivate empathy and understanding for others; this helps create intimacy and a sense of closeness between individuals and is another facet of trust.  - Lastly, express appreciation and gratitude; recognising a person's efforts and contributions and showing them they are valued makes them feel seen and heard. How has trust been beneficial to you? Perhaps it allowed you to accomplish something you could not have done without the help of another?  What is something you struggle with when fostering trust? Do you have any ideas which may be missing from my list? Looking forward to reading what everyone has to say! 😊
Critical Thinking and Perspective
by EventHorizons
Last post
 1 day ago
...See more Perspective and critical thinking are both important qualities and practices. As someone who was born into a harmful group that discourages critical thinking, personal growth and seeking different perspectives, all of these are of utmost importance to me. I enjoy learning and considering different ways to look at the world and my own self. Learning for me is almost an obsession.  1. What are some ways you can practice and incorporate critical thinking and perspective understanding into your daily life? 2. How can these qualities aid your growth as a person? 1. Questioning assumptions one makes by asking questions is one way. Ask many, many questions. Don’t accept anything at face value—investigate. Be curious. Active listening, debate, consider different outcomes and results. Brainstorm multiple ways of solving problems. Communicating with others about perspective and critical thinking.  2. By practicing these, I am ensuring that my mind and, consequently, life is not narrow and static. There is constant improvement and expansion of the self and in thinking / problem-solving / relatability. Actively seeking out different perspectives and opinions provides a way to reflect on my thinking and where my mind is in terms of growth and learning mindset. Am I being narrow-minded and tunnel visioning? How do I feel about this particular viewpoint? Why? Is what they’re saying factual, or is it an opinion? What can I research about this? How does this affect my life? Etc.
The Power of Resilience and Adaptability
by lovelyBlossom5344
Last post
 2 days ago
...See more Two abilities that have greatly influenced my career and personal path are resilience and adaptability. When I think back on my life, I can think of many instances where the capacity to overcome hardship and adjust to new surroundings was essential. I wasn't always tenacious or flexible. Every time life presented me with unforeseen difficulties as a youngster or young adult, I would feel extremely uneasy. I used to fight change, which made me angry and occasionally immobilised by my dread of the unknown. I can recall a significant setback I experienced once: an endeavour I had put my all into failed because of unanticipated events. It took a long time for me to recover because I allowed my self-doubt to take over instead of pushing forward and changing my strategy. As I became older, I understood that resilience is a skill that must be developed. I started to see challenges as chances to get stronger rather than as barriers. "Resilience enables us to withstand setbacks and failures and learn from them, turning potential breakdowns into breakthroughs," according to the growth path framework. This viewpoint altered the way I dealt with change and how I addressed adversity. I discovered that my resilience also increased my capacity for adaptation. Adaptability is crucial for success in our ever changing environment, and during my personal development, the two traits got entwined. I developed these abilities by making tiny but significant progress: Challenge rephrasing: I began asking myself, "What can I learn from this?" rather than, "What went wrong?" I became more growth-oriented after realising my shortcomings as a teacher. Mindfulness: I become more adaptable and receptive to the changes around me by focussing on the here and now. I learnt from mindfulness that change is inevitable and that it's critical to be prepared to accept it. Creating a network of support: It made all the difference to be surrounded by people who supported me and reminded me of my abilities. Their viewpoints strengthened me when mine faltered. These days, two of my main pillars are resilience and adaptability, which enable me to go through life more confidently and easily. I continue to face challenging circumstances, but I have faith in my ability to handle them.  Questions for Discussion: 1. What life events have influenced your ability to bounce back? 2. What coping mechanisms have you established for dealing with setbacks? 3. Do you have trouble adjusting to abrupt changes? If yes, what actions do you believe you can do to improve your flexibility?
Perseverance: When to give up
by Meloverse
Last post
 2 days ago
...See more Perseverance has always been an interesting quality that many people praise others for having.  It is defined as the ability to continue pushing forward towards your goal even when progress is slow or when obstacles are thrown in your way.  It can lead to great accomplishments, like earning a degree or overcoming a personal struggle.  However, perseverance towards a harmful goal can become destructive, hurting yourself and others along the way.  I see this play out most often with my mom.  I have to admit that I do not have the perseverance that she does but I see often how it becomes destructive.  For example, it was her perseverance that allowed her to earn her degree despite multiple setbacks and examination failures along the way but she did not give up until she earned her degree.  However, this same characteristic also causes her to sacrifice her own mental health and well-being to help someone who doesn't want to be helped.  She just can't let things go until her goal has been reached.  Seeing this growing up, I learned that despite being told that I need to persevere, there should be a limit, a time to give up.  I was involved with someone who kept stringing me along, and despite knowing it wasn’t healthy, I couldn’t let go. I kept pushing, trying to show how caring I was and hoping he’d see what he was missing. I also pressured him to give me a clear answer on whether he wanted to be with me or not. In the end, this persistence only caused me to develop mental health issues, leaving me miserable. Looking back, I realize I should have walked away much earlier. In my opinion, perseverance can be an amazing quality.  However, when trying to reach that goal, your own health starts to decline and it's starting to take over your entire life, it might be time to give up.   What signs might indicate that it’s time to stop pushing for something and let go?
Courage Grows With You
by fruityCherry7666
Last post
 2 days ago
...See more Recently, I have been thinking about the meaning of courage and how it relates differently to different stages of life. The IDG course defines courage as,  "Ability to stand up for values, make decisions, take decisive action and if need be, challenge and disrupt existing structures and views." In pondering this definition, I started to think about how courage looks at varying stages of our lives. When we are young, we may confront playground bullies because they are mean to our friends. I am in my twenties now, and having courage looks very different now than it did at any of my previous life stages. For example, In my teen years, my ability to control my self-expression through how many ear piercings I got was worthy of me standing to my parents. However, now, I need to utilize most of my courage in advocating for my continuing education by putting my best foot forward and applying for master's programs, even though it scares me. What I valued in every stage of my life were and are equally impactful and vital to me. However, now, I see things through the lens of someone older and with more life experience and a better idea of what I want in my future. To summarize, the concept of courage stays the same, but our perception of the world and our values change; thus, what we must be courageous about also changes.  Now, my question to you is: How has your courage changed? Can you think of an example of how you have grown your courage or what you find worthy of courage?
Inner Compass and Self-awareness
by MarinaLexi
Last post
 2 days ago
...See more While completing the IDG pathway, I was struck by the interconnectedness of the five dimensions and the skills underpinning them.  I found that although I do consider myself a values-based individual… I didn't actually have a full grasp of my values or which had priority over others, I was deeply lacking self-awareness and had never taken the time to delve and discover what I actually valued. So I really valued the opportunity to undertake the VIA Character strengths survey!  As I was reading down the list, I was nodding along, thinking, "Ok, this makes sense. Kindness, love of learning, curiosity, perspective…. Wait, what's this?", I discovered 'Judgement' on my list, which was something I had not considered as a value! In fact, I'd always believed it to be a negative characteristic that should be quashing as soon as it arose. According to Dictionary . Com (n.d.), one definition of judgement is "Making or expressing a negative assessment of someone or something; condemning," which is how I had previously understood it. However my VIA survey assessment results defined it as "Thinking things through and examining from all sides; not jumping to conclusions, weighing evidence fairly, and the ability to change one's mind." This has completely changed how I view judgement. But, I also noticed other strengths I had never considered; zest, humour, spirituality, all were lesser skills for me, but I had also never had the opportunity to develop them either. Without honing self-awareness, you can never take stock of where you are, and if you don't know where you are, how do you know where you are going? It transformed my perception of my strengths and skills and has provided me with a different, more accurate view of myself than I had before and offered insights that I can carry into my work, volunteering, and other endeavours. So now, I'm curious!  How has your perception of your values and inner compass changed since undertaking this pathway?  Did you learn something new about them and about yourself? What shocked you? (Hopefully my post is along the right lines.)
Trust
by zealousRose5745
Last post
 2 days ago
...See more When we allow ourselves to trust, it makes sense that we are allowing ourselves to be at least a little vulnerable on some level.  We "give" trust and sometimes, for me,  this has meant committing to a certain expectation.  But something shifted about my definition of trust expanded after studying the section of the course focused on Collaborating/Social Skills.  I'd not previously recognize how trust actually empowers us to build more in community with others.  Not trusting can lead us to refuse bigger opportunities to participate in positive change. How have you grown stronger by leaning on another person (or people)?
Topic: Self-Awareness
by Wallis
Last post
 2 days ago
...See more Self-Awareness is a skill that I need to practice all my life. In the growth path, it says: Self-awareness also entails recognizing both strengths and weaknesses, acknowledging past mistakes, and celebrating achievements, leading to a realistic self-image that forms the basis for healthy self-esteem and self-acceptance.   I believe that we all have a self-image inside, which shapes our self-esteem along with many other things. A false self-image can lead to a false idea of what we should do or should not do. I was always lucky to have someone who was close to me to remind me when I was mislead by any false self-image. To have a realistic self-image, I reflect a lot to have a right understanding of myself. I gradually starts to accept my weakness and find ways to eliminate any negative consequences of them. For example, when I found myself too anxious and impatient in a certain circumstance, I would step outside for a while till I calm down.   I would like to encourage you to discuss the question below: Try to describe your self-image before and after you practice self-awareness. Can you identify any new characteristics of your realistic self-image now? I welcome you to reply this post and share your findings!
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