Essential life skills..

We all want to live well and make the most of our lives. If we want to accomplish it effectively and to our full potential we must be able to put into practice the necessary life skills.

As with any job, sport or discipline, in order to be proficient at it, you must acquire and master the requisite skills. Living life fully and productively is no different.

Where do you begin?

You begin by establishing a firm foundation. That foundation is "you". You must know who you are, what you want, and what you are capable of. You must then determine which values, goals and principles you will set up to guide your actions.

Learning about and applying the life skills will help you:

• know and understand yourself better
• live life more consciously and deliberately
• attain personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

Often, the hardest part in any endeavor is getting started, however once you do, there is a surprising snowball effect. You begin to feel good about what you’re doing and you want to continue. You want to improve yourself and you want to be a better you.

As you embark on the road to personal development you become aware that there is so much knowledge and information to be discovered and uncovered; knowledge about yourself, knowledge about others, knowledge about life and the world around you.

According to Aristotle: "All men by nature desire knowledge."

Personal growth and development is about desiring and pursuing knowledge.

To assist you in your pursuit of knowledge and in expanding your horizons, I encourage you to read and explore the pages on the arts, philosophy, and sports .

Sometimes we underestimate how much they contribute to personal growth and development and the balancing of the personality.

Enjoy also the inspirational quotes, and personal development articles that include tips and strategies, as well as other interesting resources.

Acquiring Essential Life Skills will not only contribute to your personal growth and development, it will make you a more interesting and dynamic individual.

Why are these skills essential?

Because without having developed them, you will always feel that something is missing in your life. What good is all the financial success in the world if you don't love yourself, know yourself, know what you really want or what you're doing here? We've all witnessed many outwardly successful and famous people who have not been able to find personal happiness. No amount of fame or fortune could fill the void they felt inside.

Therefore, in order to enjoy the fruits of any achievement we must first be happy with ourselves and possess the following:

A healthy Self-Concept which includes the three skills of:
1. Know Yourself,
2. Love Yourself,
3. Be True To Yourself.

Critical Thinking is needed to work on developing and honing the rest of the skills including:
4. Having A Personal Value System,
5. Perspective,
6. Have An Open Mind,
7. Sense Of Humor,
8. Resilience,
9. Acceptance.

Personal development is an ongoing process and journey. As Robert Louis Stevenson said:

"To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life."