At the risk of sounding like I'm sitting atop a high horse, I'm going to note an important distinction.
There is a sweet difference between LEARNING how to be our best selves and actually BEING our best selves, no?
For instance. It's awesome to post inspirational quotes to our Facebook walls. It's even awesomer to heed those words and actually conduct our REAL lives in a way that makes us proud. Yes?
My high horse is out to pasture. I make that distinction because I realize that even despite my passion for self-development work, when I am triggered towards a pattern I'd like to change, actually MAKING those changes is…ummm...how do I say…it is FREAKING HARD. And SCARY.
That's why I like how Dr. Judith and Dr. Bob Wright differentiate between "learning," "growing," and "transforming" in their book, "Transformed! The Science of Spectacular Living:"
- Learning - knowing something you didn't know before
- Growing - doing something you haven't done before
- Transforming - becoming someone you've never been before
The Wrights studied the small group of "Positive Deviants" who made quantum leaps forward when they emerged from the Wright Leadership Institute, as opposed to most of their peers, who made significant but incremental improvements. They figured out what separated these two groups, and they created a process (and this book) to help other people become Positive Deviants, too.
Positive Deviation? Sign me up for some of that.
Dr. Judith also coined the term "soft addictions," which I talked about in this particularly awesome post which no one saw because I changed URLs that same day and accidentally broke all of my mail chimp links. Whoops. (Bop on over. Surely you want to.)
Now guess what.
It is with elf-like happy dances that I announce a new "Catching the Light" Podcast Series in which I will to be interviewing brilliant (as in "smart" but mostly "luminescent") thought-leaders to get their best tips on how to "Let It Shine" in the real world.
And guess what else. Dr. Judith Wright (a radiant being and "one of the most sought-after self-help gurus in the country") is my first guest.
Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity-dog!
Here's the podcast:
[powerpress]
Listen in the car, or while you're cleaning or working out or whatevs. I can't wait to hear what you think of it.
Podcast Highlights:
- How to address that "itch you cannot scratch" (feeling unfulfilled despite tremendous achievements.)
- The key to being happy BEFORE losing the weight, finding the spouse, or meeting that next goal.
- How to use the "So That Test" to figure out what your soul yearns for.
- Judith's reflections on my self-judgement about yearning to be seen.
- Simple components necessary for old dogs to learn new tricks.
- What to keep in mind if you feel like there's "no use" in making changes because people cast you into a role you can't escape.
- How seemingly harmless activities like habitual-facebook-checking or shopping addictions make us "numb and dumber."
- One small thing you can do today to become your "next most radiant self."
Podcast Quotables (click to tweet):
"We think 'this is just the way it is.' No: it's the way you're wired. You can do something about it." - Judith
"Any career can be made into a calling and any calling can be made into a career." - unknown
"Science proves old dogs CAN learn new tricks. We're just AFRAID to change, or we don't want to do the work." - Bethany
"You know what's a sign of weakness? Not changing." - Judith
"92% of Americans admit to having soft addictions and I think the other 8% are in denial." - Judith
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Any thoughts on the Podcast? Future people you'd like me to interview?
I love to hear from you!
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