Rise Above Your Trauma: The Keys to Achieving Personal Development

According to Google, Personal Development is a lifelong process. It is a way for people to assess their skills and qualities, consider their aims in life and set goals to realize and maximize their potential. Incidents and events that happened in our lives have scarred many of us. It has injured us to a point where we have lost ourselves, our dreams, visions and aspirations.

My story dates back to my earlier years. I grew up as a brilliant and spontaneous child. I was that youth who soared through everything; I had a powerful personality but was also very fearful of displaying my full potential as I passed through an emotional and traumatic childhood. This was a trauma that stuck through and blocked me from bringing out the best version of myself.

I continued existence as the little girl who had a wonderful vision of growth. I had flushed out all that I went through and endured life. Likewise, I matriculated, then later on graduated with flying colours. Likewise, I had lived at the palm of my hand. I turned into an overachiever in all I did. Likewise, I got married and time was just a breeze.

Life became wonderful until I experienced marital issues that I have never envisaged would occur. I also went through a difficult financial strain because of COVID-19, and so many other episodes that I found lurking in my course. Everything mounted in my soul, and it felt as though I had additional life traumas passed my way. I had lost all hope. I did not know who I was or what my dreams meant to me. Not only that, but I would wake up, get myself ready for work and stress throughout the day, watching everyone I went to varsity with living the life they had dreamt of.

The trauma and emotional breakdown continued until a time when I had someone who recommended that I tune in to a motivational speaker called Les Brown. I then tuned in to him. I was not as consistent with this routine as they advised me to until I tuned in to one of his sessions where he spoke about personal development.

Likewise, I started researching personal change and self-improvement. It was difficult at first, but I could detect the small results that came with the exercise. I started writing daily goals just to see if I can be able to achieve them. I continued with the exercise and listening to Les Brown. Furthermore, I followed these guidelines to develop myself personally.

·        Overcome your fears — I learned how to conquer my fears by practising daily manifestations.

·        Read — I started reading motivational books, e.g. The Alchemist by Phoelo Choelo.

·        Learn something fresh — I agreed with myself to master something new every day.

·       Ask for feedback — I made myself accountable by asking for feedback from a very close friend of mine as to how I was progressing.

·       Observe others — I observed successful people’s patterns.

·       Network — I built a powerful network of people that were great influencers and motivators in my life, like my mentor.

·       Keep a journal — I kept a journal, to document my feelings each day and see if there would be any progress.

·       Meditate — I meditated every morning to get a fresh start to the day.

·       Support — I received support from my company Discovery, where I was referred to Healthy Company for counselling sessions.

My life took shape again, and I found myself more intrigued each day. I started applying for vacancies in the company. I started going out with my friends and also pushed my side hustles. Furthermore, I also realized my dreams again and started doing daily manifestations.

The efforts to develop myself paid off. My application for the internal vacancy was accepted, and they appointed me to occupy my new position on the 1st of March 2021. I separated from my marriage, and I am now living with my 2-year-old son and chasing my dreams more than ever.