IDG Empathy & Compassion

The Inner Development Goals framework is like a blueprint that educates and inspires individuals to look inward to pinpoint our specific opportunities for inner growth which help us to enhance our abilities for, not just personal growth, but also societal growth. They assist us in our ability to collaborate with others positively and effectively as we work our way through the framework in hopes of achieving the sustainable development goals. Essentially, this is a blueprint that helps us use inner growth for outer change. 

The entire framework is fantastic, and as I went through the growth path here on 7 cups, it inspired me to take IDG classes outside of the community here. Throughout my deep dive into the world of IDG, I found myself saying in my head, over and over again, “I really wish this would have been available to me back when I was teaching health education in the public school system!” I know I would have fought hard to get this added to the curriculum because this framework contains information that everyone should learn. The IDG covers 23 skills that include skills such as inner compass, openness, learning mindset, self-awareness, presence, connecteness, empathy, kindness, humility, co-creation, trust, and perseverance.  These skills are divided into 5 different categories: Being, Thinking, Relating, collaborating, and acting. However, don’t let the separation of the categories fool you-they are all interrelated and intricatly weave together to create a marvelous, life-changing, and empowering tapestry of growth and development. 

One of my favorite areas of inner growth found in the framework is one that helps us to approach transitions with a focus on our learning and development opportunities, rather than just looking at the challenges and obstacles. It is a skill that helps us adapt to change and navigate challenges and opportunities that occur during life’s transitions with success and positivity, and it is essential to our growth. In the IDG framework, this skill is referred to as “Openness and Growth Mindset”, and is found in the first category called “being”, which relates to the “relationship to self”.  When you think about it, inner growth can only occur when individuals are open and able to be vulnerable, able to accept advice from others, and willing to view things from other perspectives. The best way to evaluate openness and a growth mindset is through evaluation, and this can be done by self-evaluation or even through others’ constructive feedback. Through evaluation, one can then create, or add to, their inner development plan. 

So what is openness and a growth mindset? To me, “openness and a growth mindset” encompasses many things, such as a desire to learn, being more open to change, to show vulnerability without anxiety, reflecting on and learning from the pains in our past, embracing feedback from others by focussing on growth opportunities, being accessible, and being receptive of and willing to explore new ideas, experiences, and perspectives, belief that your abilities can grow through dedication and hard work, and belief that success depends on time and effort. 

The course defines it as “having a basic mindset of curiosity and a willingness to be vulnerable, embrace change, and grow.”   

They involve having “a natural sense of curiosity, a readiness to embrace vulnerability, and a willingness to adapt, evolve, and expand”. Openness and a Learning Mindset are fundamental in making those inner changes. Openness within oneself means being open to new experiences, feelings, and discovery of self. Having a mind and heart that are open allows us to withhold fear and judgment when we dive deep into our emotions, thoughts, and beliefs. 

While a learning mindset involves “adopting a stance of continuous self-improvement and personal growth”. It means seeing and understanding that we can evolve, make changes, and get better over time. When we embrace a learning mindset, we are able to seek knowledge, meet obstacles, and adapt to our ever-changing lives. These skills encourage a connection to our inner self that is enriching and in sync with your inner world and outer world, which really helps build our ability to be resilient and accepting of who we are at our core.

So, how do you stay open when you have a different opinion from another? Also, are you serious about having an inquiring mindset when you encounter views that are very different from your own?