PersonalGrowth

Myers-Briggs personality types and acceptance of who you are

Posted Mon, 10/26/2009 - 17:26 by Hanns-Oskar Porr

One of the great challenges for many people is to find out who they are, so that they can find their path through life. There are several psychological profile tests that claim to give a quick answer. One popular tool is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (or MBTI) which states there are four pairs of oposing personality preferences --Introvert/Extrovert, Sensing/iNtuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving—- that can be combined to form 16 basic personality types, such as ESTP, ISFJ, etc. By answering a series of questions, you then figure out “your personality type.”

The Meaning of Life

Posted Mon, 10/26/2009 - 15:52 by Hanns-Oskar Porr

“What is the meaning of life?” This is one of the biggest questions we can ask. Many great minds have tackled it. For me, the most insightful answer came from Victor Frankl, a famous Psychologist who also was a Holocaust survivor. In his influential book “Man’s Search for Meaning” he describes the horrors of the Nazi concentration camp and how he was able to survive by focusing on the few things he had left, which could not be stripped from him and that gave him meaning, such as the love for his wife (who had been separated from him, and, as he found out only later, killed).

Carl Jung’s Red Book: even the Greats have inner demons

Posted Mon, 10/26/2009 - 14:32 by Hanns-Oskar Porr

For almost fifty years it laid hidden in one of Zurich’s most secure bank vaults. Only rumors hinted at its existence. A book, a kind of personal journal, bound in red leather, with the most secret inner thoughts written by one of the world’s most famous and celebrated psychologist, Carl Jung. Now, finally, it is revealed to the public. It tells of a most private struggle, the fight and subsequent victory over dark inner demons, and shows that even the Greats have to endure the same inner battles as the rest of us on this path called life. There is much to learn from this.

Become aware of de-evolving change in your life

Posted Mon, 10/26/2009 - 13:01 by Hanns-Oskar Porr

What’s the scariest movie you have ever seen? And I don't mean some horror flick that you forget about as soon as it ended, but something so scary that you remember it for a long time because the very concept is unnerving. One such movie is “I am Legend” with Will Smith. In it, humankind is essentially wiped out by a virus; only one man is not affected and remains the lone “normal” human. The scariest part is not the inhuman creatures he fights (you can see this in a million other flicks) but seeing how a vibrant city like New York can become so desolate in such a short time.

What is your biggest dream for your life?

Posted Sun, 10/25/2009 - 08:24 by Hanns-Oskar Porr

Often, we do not hold big enough a vision for our lives, and only dream small dreams. I want to ask you: What is the biggest dream for your life? If you could accomplish anything (within reason), what would it be? Oprah Winfrey once held a contest on her show, and asked her viewers to send in their “Wildest Deams.” 77,000 responded. Yet, to put it simply, most dreams were quite underwhelming.

Thoreau and Emerson: American Masters of Living Authentically.

Posted Sun, 10/25/2009 - 06:05 by Hanns-Oskar Porr

Emerson and Thoreau were two great thinkers who taught us a uniquely American way of being true to you and living authentically. Today, we can still learn much from them. Thoreau is best known for his book “Walden,” which recounts how he left the confines of town to go live in a cabin in the nearby woods for two years. We can still visit this place today: Walden Pond is a small lake near Concorde, Massachusetts, where people from nearby Boston flock on a hot summer day to go swimming.

What should a website on personal growth be like?

Posted Mon, 09/21/2009 - 10:36 by Hanns-Oskar Porr

I am wondering what features you would like to see on a site for your personal growth and self-realization? I created a special forum topic (click here) that let's you discuss this. I believe many books on personal growth, even the good ones, often fail because they leave the readers to their own devices, and the key to make this work would be to have a real support community in place.

Resolving personal boundaries

Posted Mon, 08/17/2009 - 12:39 by Hanns-Oskar Porr

In our daily lives, many things keep us from growing as a person. One problem is that we often don’t know what to grow into, and then our lives lack direction and focus. But maybe even more importantly, even if you knew, many people have limits that hold them back. And so, we often spend our lives in a “safety zone,” and only engage in the habitual. In that way, little if any growth can happen.

The Reading Shelf is open

Posted Fri, 08/14/2009 - 04:43 by Hanns-Oskar Porr

While my book “The Steps of Essence” will not be officially released for a couple of months, I just published a list of the books that most influenced the text: I created a reading shelf on my website at http://www.seinquest.com/StepsOfEssence/ReadingShelf, which links to amazon.com. You will find many books that you may find helpful and interesting yourself, ranging from such diverse areas as psychology, self-help, philosophy, creativity, eastern and western thought, and even acting-techniques.

Life is a Quest: to find and be yourself

Posted Tue, 08/11/2009 - 11:25 by Hanns-Oskar Porr

One popular theme in the many myths and legends of the world is that of a hero setting out on a Quest to find a treasured object. Today we find this same theme in popular movies such as Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, the Matrix, etc. Joseph Campbell once found that many of these stories follow a similar outline, even though they originated in completely different cultures. This is because these themes represent every person’s own Quest in life, which is the same in each culture: to be the hero of one’s own life, and go to find and be oneself.