Healthcare is Not the Same Thing as Personal Development

Good health gives you the opportunity to develop into a good person but it is not what makes you a good person.

Photo by Mar’i Muhammad on Unsplash

Since the beginning of this year I have been walking down the road of personal development. I did over 200 hours of research into this topic by reading about it, talking to people, and generally observing the behaviors of others on similar paths.

I now realize that what people are often talking about when it comes to personal development is actually just healthcare.

I switched up my diet, I trained to wake up early in the morning and start my day with exercise. I took time to sit and have a break — to not feel overwhelmed or overworked. I meditated. I started taking supplements. I took time off and traveled. I incorporated creative outlets such as writing and drawing, and I also kept a journal for over a year.

I feel stronger and more flexible, physically and mentally. I feel organized. I feel like I can adapt to situations better, but not because I am somehow much wiser or my values have evolved through these routines.

I feel stronger and more flexible from my routines simply because I have more energy to dedicate to the things that are actually leading to me developing, personally.

Eating a low carb, high fat, high protein diet, exercising regularly, taking a break and resting; all these things that are often written about in terms of personal development, are actually just ways for you to have time and energy to go find another person to talk to about what you are feeling.

The best, truest, and most reliable method for personal development? Connect with people honestly, tell them how you feel and what you think, and give them the opportunity to explain to you how they feel and what they think. Initiate the approach and genuinely take an interest.

Be dedicated to speaking your mind and treating other people with dignity. Don’t be a coward or worry too much about how other people are feeling.

Dedicate to understanding what other people are thinking.

Live with integrity for those values, and the development comes naturally.

I’m curious about the human experience | PhD in Neuroscience | Instagram: neuro_roksana

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