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600 Personal Development Exercises

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Are you ignoring your elephant?

9/9/2021

 

ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Illness and death
await all of us.
It’s the elephant in our room.
It’s there, but we don’t talk about it.
 
Years go by,
the room gets smaller.
and our elephant
comes nearer.
 
Soon we will be
touching each other.
Then our elephant will ask 'why have
you ignored me all these years?
 
We could’ve been friends
and learned so much
​from each other.
We could’ve played together'.
 
And then he left me.
The elephant in my room.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1. Have you spoken to the elephant in your room?
2. How will you play together? 
​

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Day 534 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

How long is a lifetime?

8/16/2021

 

​HOURGLASS

They tell us that
our time is running out,
that our life is slipping away.
Like the sand
in an hourglass.

What they don’t know
is that we have learnt
to turn the hourglass
upside down,
and begin over again.

And we can continue
to do this forever.
For our repositioning
is not based on time, but on
 an understanding of who we are.

​PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1. If time wasn't the way that we measured our life, what would you put in its place?
2. What measure would never end, never run out? 


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Day 510 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

Is there life after life?

7/19/2021

 
 
LIFE AFTER LIFE
 
We discuss the idea
of 'life after death',
when in reality we
should say 'life after life'.
For our lives are not defined
by our final few moments.
 
Our lives are a celebration of our
stories, friendships, families,
achievements, learning, moments of
magic, changes and challenges, our
legacy, and all those we leave behind,
smothered with our love.
 
Perhaps we should change
our question and speak of
'life after life'? 
Let us allow each other to live
every moment that they have. For this
is the life, that we all continue.

​PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1. Is there life after life for those who love you? 

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​Day 482 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

Is there a second Series?

7/13/2021

 

SERIES TWO
 
Our lives are like
a play or a movie,
set in a particular location,
at a particular time.
 
This story has its
personalities and subplots.
We of course, are
the central character!
 
All plays and movies
have their allocated duration.
And so, the story unfolds
to its final conclusion.
 
The happy ending,
solving of the crime or
that unexpected final scene,
signal the end.
 
For those of us in
the movie or play, that’s it.
It’s over.
We are finished.
 
We just hope
that you like
the play or movie enough
to want more.
 
We can only return
for series two or
an extended run,
if such a thing exists.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1. How is your life story unfolding? 
2. Are you working on the plot for Series Two?
​

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Day 476 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercise

What is Dancing Queen really about?

3/2/2021

 

DANCING QUEEN

They’re going to play songs
or hymns or music at your funeral.
Anything you would you like to hear?
 
What about the songs
that we laughed and danced to,
and that you still dance to?
 
Make a list so that we can get everyone
up to dance and laugh with you.
So that we enjoy all being together.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1. Write out  you Top 10 song  list for your send-off  occasion!
2. How are you dancing now? Are you 'having the time of your life'?


Day 343 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

Who are your Virtual Assistants?

11/9/2020

 

​VIRTUAL ASSISTANT

I will be leaving you soon
but please do not cry,
for I can stay here forever
and keep an eye on you.
 
You won’t see me of course but
sometimes you will know I am here.
For nobody ever ends.
We just change.
 
I can stay here with you
and in heaven at the same time.
For heaven is all around us
and within us, together.
 
Our human abilities of course
can’t understand this yet,
for we are so limited
by time and space.
 
But those who have gone
before are still here now,
watching and waiting, guiding and helping,
and rescuing us all of the time.
 
Some call them angels,
some call it coincidence or luck,
some say it is the Universe,
and some say it is God.
 
But really it is our loved ones
who are still here, chatting away,
and trying their best
to steer us and look after us.
 
So, do not worry or be sad.
And please remember to talk to me
for I too will be here forever,
to help and look after you all.
 
You won’t see me in the usual way
but you will know that I am here.
For as I said, none of us ever ends.
We just change into love.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1. Which of your Virtual Assistants do you miss the most?
2. Speak to them now.


Day 230 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

Why is Dying like a Rollercoaster Ride?

10/4/2020

 
​
ROLLERCOASTER

 
Dying is like
a rollercoaster ride
with the kids.
 
​You know you’ve got to do it.
It’s going to be scary,
but will be okay
when it’s over.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1. Why are children and young people often so much more adventurous and braver than older people in a theme park? 
2. What actually happens on the rollercoaster of dying? 


Day 195 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

Can we apply Lateral Thinking to our Lives?

9/25/2020

 

LATERAL THINKING
 
The sunflower seed
does not worry about
being planted in the ground,
to wither and die.
 
For it has been told
that it will become
something unimaginable,
for such a little seed.
 
We too, have been told that
we will become something
incredible and unimaginable.
We are all sunflowers.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1. Without light, the sunflower seed cannot grow. Who, what or where is your light?
​2. Each of us is already 'something incredible and unimaginable'. How can we help our fellow sunflowers to grow?


Day 186 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

Have you a fear of Dying?

8/14/2020

 

APPOINTMENT REMINDER

In the middle of the night
when all is so dark and empty
there is nothing for me to see or do.
My mind shoots me back to that
dreaded place I knew well, when I was 17.
Fearing death and my non-existence.

These momentary incisions literally
shake me as I am overwhelmed
by some uncontrollable force.
The panic attack as they named it,
has returned tonight.
It’s terrifying.

Back then, I had
​my whole life before me.
I could rationalise these moments.
Now, and as I get older,
​I see that this dread
is in fact, a blessing of love.

I’ve learned that the losing of my self
is what we all ultimately
move through in dying.
We each have to let go of what
we are so desperate not to lose,
as we become everything that is love.

It is no surprise to me tonight
that my brain still struggles
and refuses to let go.
For it knows that this is simply
another reminder,
and not the appointment.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE
1. What sort of appointment reminders do you receive? 

Day 144 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises

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