Add A Little Extra……4/21/24

“Knowing who you are and what you’re capable of in your own skin is more powerful than any suit of armor— it’s what makes the ordinary extraordinary.  A humble person is comfortable in their own skin.” 

Is it difficult to know who you are?  You have to turn your focus from all the external people, places and things and do what I call “eyeballs inward.”  What you are capable of is another matter.  Are you ordinary? If so, add a little extra and become “extraordinary!”  I believe humility and pride are on a continuum. When you place yourself somewhere on that continuum, suit up!  Peace, John 

In addition to following me on Facebook and Twitter, you can also follow Personal Growth Concepts, Inc. on Facebook (@PersonalGrowthConceptsInc) and on Twitter (@PGCCounseling) 

Improving Your Self…..4/24/22

Affirmations work best if you repeat them to yourself frequently.  If you’re alone, try saying them out loud.  This affirmation stresses that “becoming” is a process – it doesn’t happen all at once.  The goal is to become a better version of yourself.  I take exception to the word “best.”  It implies that anything short of “best” is not good enough i.e. shame.  “Better” allows for the process and improvement, implying that you’re never perfect but always “becoming.”  I tell clients you can’t be perfect and ask them if they know why?  I tell them that it’s my belief that “God has a monopoly on perfection and that He hates competition!”  Stay humble while you continue to improve yourself daily.  Peace, John 

In addition to following me on Facebook and Twitter, you can also follow Personal Growth Concepts, Inc. on Facebook (@PersonalGrowthConceptsInc) and on Twitter (@PGCCounseling) 

Staying Humble….. 8/29/21

I’ve had less.  I remember.  I am grateful.  I think it’s less about how much or little you have, but more about who you are and your attitude toward your self, the people around you and your environment.  Max Ehrman in “Desiderata,” states “If you compare yourself with others, you may become bitter or vain, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”  That always reminds me, I’m somewhere in the middle.  Grateful I’m no longer where I was, and humble that “God isn’t through with me yet!”  Where are you these days?   Peace, John 

If you’d like a copy of Desiderata, please email me, jpacheco@personalgrowthconcepts.com  and I will be happy to send you a copy of it with a bit of it’s history. It’s only 1 page long and what I call a nice, soothing read.   

In addition to following me on Facebook and Twitter, you can also follow Personal Growth Concepts, Inc. on Facebook (@PersonalGrowthConceptsInc) and on Twitter (@PGCCounseling)  

Communication Basics…..1/3/21

There’s a lot of important things in communication.  Some of these include: what is said, when it’s said, how it’s said, the words used, volume, inflection, cadence, the history and values of the sender and the receiver, and the medium & environment through which the message is sent.  The above quote points out how important it is what isn’t said.  The sender chooses.  Sometimes, what they choose to skip can be an oversight; at other times, it’s deliberate (i.e. what they maybe don’t want you to know!)  As receivers, we need to be aware of what hasn’t been said and check our assumptions.  There is a natural tendency to fill in what we don’t know with how we think it should be.  Then we need to remember, there’s a lot more going on with the sender than we know – keeps us humble, don’t you think?  Finally, I have an excellent handout entitled, “Please Listen to What I’m Not Saying.”  If you would like a copy of it, please send me an email (jpacheco@personalgrowthconcepts.com with the request in the subject line. 

Happy New Year!  Peace, John

I invite you to become a guest blogger.  It’s easy. Find a quote that speaks to you and write a few sentences about it and what it means to you, or what it means in general. Send it all to me in an email with the subject line reading “Guest Blogger.”  I will review and publish it, with gratitude, and with the hope that others will benefit from it as well. If you need some help, I can furnish you with a quote or several to pick from – I have hundreds of them. Please take me up on this offer.   Peace,  John  

Praying…. 11/6/2016

I used to think that I wanted to pray like a fella in my prayer group. When I shared that with him, he set me straight. He told me that my “talk time” with God was not supposed to be like his.  He then told me whatever I had to offer to God in prayer was 100% acceptable to God.  It took a long time of thinking about that and coming to believe it.

Sometime later I spoke with a trusted spiritual guide.  I shared with her that I felt guilty for not taking the time to pray the way I thought I should. She asked what I meant and I told her that I had good intentions of setting aside time but then I got caught up in the things of the day, my work and didn’t get to it.  I did tell her that I prayed in church and sometimes with certain clients.  She asked me if I had conscious awareness of God throughout my day. I told her yes, that often I think of Him in the “inter-stitches” during the day, times between activities, times when I’m in my car, and times when I’m in transitions. She simply said to me, “That’s prayer!” I was taken aback, but as I reflected on it, I realized she was right. She also told me not to worry about the structure and the amount of time. She also asked how God communicates with me. I told her in different ways – sometimes an idea in my head (“aha”), sometimes something from my reading, sometimes in a song or the words of another person, sometimes in what I see and, at times, just a sensation in my heart.  She also pronounced this as fine and told me I was on the right track.  I was relieved, but it still took me a while to work this through and to let some of the guilt dissipate for not doing it “the right way.”

“The power is in the One who hears it.”  The receiver has all the power. He is a better listener than I!  He hears and knows everything, even my weak and sometimes infrequent attempts to communicate with Him.  He loves me just as I am, with all my shortcomings, blemishes and character defects – I’m still trying to wrap my head around that one!  He doesn’t judge – He just loves me for who I am.

Be mindful of God’s presence in your life and you are already praying.  Your prayers are not wasted.  Be humble, contrite, thankful and ask on behalf of your self, and others. When in doubt, to paraphrase Mother Teresa, “Pray anyway!”