Blossoming of the Soul – 3rd in series June 5, 2014
In this 3rd installment of my blog, Blossoming of the Soul, it is time to tackle two of the greatest blocks to our “blossoming” potential. One involves a concept known as Praxis, and another is that of judgment. We’ll cover PRAXIS in this issue.
PRAXIS is a term used in psychology. It refers to being congruent in one’s beliefs, thoughts, words and actions. To explain the concept, let me begin with a focus on actions. Virtually all progress in human endeavor requires action. For our bodies to survive, even if we sit like a lump on a chair, literally thousands of actions automatically take place in our body.
Think of what your voluntary and necessary actions are from the moment your eyes open at the start of a new day. As an adult with a job, a family, friends, a home, a car and debts, your actions are many and perhaps even daunting throughout the day.
What we know from decades of observation is that actions are accomplished more easily and effectively if you are thoroughly congruent. Actions can become virtually effortless when they match your words, thoughts and your values and beliefs. A very small percentage of the general population has any awareness of this principle, and even those of us familiar with praxis have difficulty putting it into practice.
Our beliefs and values form the precursor for all actions. If we aren’t clear about our beliefs and values (as many definitely are not!) our actions can be confused and completed with little enthusiasm or passion. Because of uncontrollable life circumstances, many of us must work or act in direct conflict to our values and beliefs. Poor outcomes, internal turmoil and stress result.
Even if our beliefs and values are aligned with our actions, it is still very common that our thoughts and self-talk create blocks to real effectiveness. Guilt, anger, fear, frustration and resentments (to name only a few negative emotions) can create disturbing thoughts that get in the way of effective actions.
From negative thoughts come negative words about ourselves, others, our work and our actions. Marshall Goldsmith, PhD, is a well-known and highly respected business coach. When he recently polled his associates regarding his overall leadership performance, he received very low marks regarding his destructive and negative comments. He was shocked and embarrassed. He stresses this topic to his clients and still received failing marks from his associates.
How many of us are truly aware of what our beliefs & values actually are? Can we list them? Can we step back and objectively observe our thoughts? Are we pleased with our words, especially as we speak to our loved ones and friends? How often are the results of our actions as successful as we hope or intend?
The first step in creating a more congruent life is having a deeper understanding of ourselves. Regardless of age, the benefits of better understanding our own nature can produce a big payoff in the satisfaction we experience in our lives. Oh, and give the effort more than a couple of weeks. More often a couple of decades are needed to truly understand our magnificence through the blossoming of our soul.
Tom
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