600 Personal Development Exercises
do one a day - every day!
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MIRROR IMAGE We are made in the image of God. This does not necessarily mean that God looks like a human. But if we look closely at each other, we can see that God, (or love), exists in each of us. And when we look at everyone, we can see that, together, we are all in God. For we are not apart from God, but part of God. Each one of us and all of us, together, forever, as one. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Describe in practical 'doing' words what love looks like. 2. If we bring all of the love that ever existed together, what would that look like?  Day 515 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises LOVE LETTER Thank you for your faith in me. Thank you for your trust in me. Thank you for your unfailing ability to see the best in me. Thank you for being consistent in your love for me. Thank you for your unwavering loyalty and support of me. Thank you for cherishing my ongoing mistakes, and accepting that these are a vital part of me. Thank you for being there. Thank you for being here. Thank you for loving me. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Write your letter and say thank-you to the one you love.  Day 500 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises THE GREAT LOVE Imagine that the Great Love is water. It is everywhere. Is in the oceans lapping up to your feet on the beach. It is flowing from our taps and carried around in bottles. It helps us to wash and keep clean. It refreshes and sustains us, for without water we would die. Imagine that the Great Love is air. It is everywhere. Invisible and yet all powerful. Above us and around us. Constantly within us. Sustaining us with every single breath, for without air we would die. Imagine that the Great Love is the sun giving us light and heat. Imagine that the Great Love is all energy. Imagine that the Great Love is all living things. Imagine that the Great Love is all humanity. Imagine that the Great Love is all of this. Imagine that the Great Love is you. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What do you imagine the Great Love to be? 2. How can you be in this, with this, apart from this - and yet, be all that this is?  Day 484 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises THE ANSWER It is the pot that holds the soup. It is our soup. It is the universe that holds the world. It is our world. It is the arm that holds the child. It is our child. It is the book that holds the word. It is our word. It is the face that holds a smile. It is our smile. It is the meaning of life and living. It is our life, our living. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Ok now, what was your question again? 2. What are the questions that you would really like an answer to?  Day 464 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises DUVET Our life is meant to be an ongoing conversation with love. It’s the seamless, constant and eternal fabric of who we are. For we are love, part of love and with love in everything. However, the noise and relentless busyness and activities of life smother this conversation. It’s like a duvet has been placed over our speaker and we hear only a muffled sound. So let’s go beneath the duvet of the world, and be in our silence, whenever we can. For here the conversation continues, as we explore, ask, learn, develop, grow, listen and become.... all, in this space. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. As you snuggle down at night, be grateful for these priceless monemts as you drift into sleep - for this is your place of peace and love. 2. When you waken up each morning say hello to love - just to remind yourself who you are - and where the real conversation is....  Day 459 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises BABY LOVE I marvel at the helplessness and trust of your little baby girl, who is totally dependent on you for everything. This is the same relationship that we all have with love. We too, live totally unaware of all that sustains us. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Who is the one who looks after us? Day 444 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
WILDFIRES AT PENTECOST Let us each be the protector for the spark of love, that is in all of us. Let us each be the fuel for the flame of love, growing in each of us. Let us each burn brightly as wildfires of love, consuming all of us together. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. Have you the spark of Love within you? 2. Can you help to fuel the flame of Love within you? 3. Can we become wildfires of Love together? Day 425 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
THE HOLDALL Love holds those of all faiths and no faith together as one. Love is all faith, open to all and freely available. Love holds those of all belief and non-belief together as one. Love is all belief, open to all and freely available. Love holds all those with faith and no faith, with belief and non-belief, together as one. Love holds all of us together as one. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Are you totally at one with those from other beliefs or non belief, or from other faiths or no faith? 2. Can you see all of us as one in holdall of Love? Day 410 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
FATHER AND SON What father would give up his son to the most brutal of deaths, for a people who have rejected his message, his healing and his love? What father who when asked, by his son, that this brutal death should be taken away, still asks his son to accept this end? What son obeys his father to the point where he gives up absolutely everything, simply because his father has asked him? What father and son is this? What do they know? What do they see? Who are they on Good Friday? And on Easter Sunday? PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What does Good Friday mean for our relationships with those closest to us? Day 374 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
CREATION Creation was not a one-off event. Creation continues in every zeptosecond, and in everything that has been created. More babies are born to build love. The Universe continues to expand at an incredible rate. Creation is only in its infancy. God is in every single molecule and in every quark of everything. For God is the eternal ever-expanding creation of love. We too, have been given an ever-expanding role beyond our limited human thinking, false beliefs and fear of failure. We will never stop growing in love. For this is our mission and purpose as part of creation. We too, are only in our infancy. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is holding you back from becoming an eternal ever-expanding creation of love? Day 370 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
THE GOOD NEWS The Good News is an understanding and an awareness of who we truly are. We are love and we are loved. This love can never die. Jesus overcame death by rising from the dead to show us this, so that we would believe in ourselves. So, the Good News is an ongoing call to believe in the goodness of yourself. It’s about you recognising that you are a loving person and a giver of love. You also make sacrifices for love and in turn, you too, will go beyond death and live forever. The Good News is the gift of eternal love that asks nothing of you but to believe in yourself. With this understanding and self awareness you can do amazing work in helping others and in creating a kinder world. These are the fruits of the Good News, the love that is each of us and the reason that we are here. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How do you show love? List 5 examples 2. How do others show you love? List 5 examples 3. What could you do today to help others ? Day 358 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
EFFECTIVE LISTENING I am sometimes asked how God is continually working with us? How does he communicate, help, encourage and guide each of us? The first point is that God is love and we are love, so we are intimately connected as one. Once we see this, then we can begin to understand that we are in a dynamic and loving relationship. Secondly, everyone else is also made of love, and so, we are in this human endeavour together. We are all working for the same purpose. God communicates directly with us and directly through others to us. Indeed, everything happening around us is a conversation from God, a conversation of love. Everything that happens, guides us, more and more, to become total love, for this is what we are all to become. Very few people receive mystical visions, so how does God communicate with us? He speaks to us directly not through words but in thoughts, ideas, laughter, reflections, wonder, success and disappointment. He speaks directly to us through others, through their encouragement, their help, their guidance, their kindness and their support. All of this is happening constantly, within us and around us. But effective communication depends on two things, listening and responding. If we don’t ‘listen’ to what is happening today, within us, around us, in the direction of our lives, in our habits and in our work, then how can we ever understand our journey? And if we don’t respond with acknowledgement, with gratitude, with conversation, with challenging ourselves, and taking responsibility for the love that we are, then how will we grow? God is speaking to you now, as always. Love is calling you to listen, today. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How well are you listening to yourself? 2. Are you giving yourself time to grow? 3. How are others helping you on your journey to total love? Day 348 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY Commit yourself to love with all your heart, for this is your passion that is above all passions. Commit yourself to love with all your soul, for this is the part of you that is pure and eternal. Commit yourself to love with all your mind, for this will uncover all that you will ever know. Nurture and cherish the love that is within you and the love that you are. With all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE. 1. How can you commit yourself to love on this Saint Valentine's Day? 2. What does it mean to nurture and cherish the love within you - with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind? Day 327 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
WAKE-UP CALL In the quiet of night-time, at three in the morning, when I am supposed to be asleep. My head is full of problems to be solved, and worries about those I love. Instead of these worldly concerns taking me away from God, I find they bring me closer to him. My worries are an open door to be with love, and to work out what we should do. But this is more than problem solving, or a business meeting. This is a joyful relationship with love, at now, four in the morning, whilst the world sleeps. And he is there, every night, for each of us. Waiting to be with us. Waiting to be asked, to sort out the troubles and worries that keep us awake. If we look out our window we see that the problems that consume our thinking, are in fact a blessing, a wake-up call, an invitation and a joyful reminder, of the love that waits for us in the night. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE. 1. Is there anything that is worrying you? 2. When will you plan an early morning call? Day 324 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
STATEMENT OF LOSS Today is my Dad’s anniversary. He died eleven years ago today. I still miss him. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE. 1. Who do you miss? 2. How will you remember and celebrate them today? Day 322 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
HUMAN RACE The wheels of generations turn, as older ones retreat, and new little ones join in. All is played out between us. The baton of love passes, gently and seamlessly. Yet it never leaves the giver, nor stays with the receiver. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE. 1. What are you doing with the baton of love that has been entrusted to you? Day 307 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
TO BE OR NOT TO BE May love be today in all that I say, in all that I do, in all that I think, and in all that I am. May love be today in all that I don’t say in all that I don’t do in all that I don’t think, and in all that I am not. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. 'To be or not to be' - that great line from Hamlet by William Shakespeare. What does it mean to who and what you are? Day 288 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
HELL There is no Hell. Hell has already existed for many in this life. There has been enough suffering. There is only love to come. Open to all, really available, warm, welcoming and joyful. Love will consume all hatred, all evil and all our distress. Love will renew our hopes, cherish our loved ones, and restore all as it should be. There has been enough fear. The only hell that exists is the one that we create, and love will conquer this. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What would you like love to restore or renew for you? Day 287 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
RELENTLESS Love is the toughest thing ever. It challenges all aspects of who we are. It confronts our ego and our focus on self. It challenges our behaviours in every interaction. It calls us to change all that we are and do. It demands we give all that we hold onto. It reminds us of our failings and the pain we cause others. Love is relentless. This is how it shapes us and guides us. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How exactly is love shaping you now? Day 260 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
VISIONARY Imagine that the great love is water. It is everywhere. Is in the oceans lapping up to your feet on the beach. It is the water flowing from your taps and carried around in bottles. It helps us to wash and keep clean. It refreshes and sustains us, for without water we would die. Imagine that the great love is air. It is everywhere. Invisible and yet all powerful. Above us and around us, constantly within us. Sustaining us with every single breath, for without air we would die. Imagine that the great love is the sky, giving us light and heat. Imagine that the great love is all energy. Imagine that the great love is all living things. Imagine that the great love is all humanity. Imagine that the great love is all of this. Imagine that the great love is you. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What does love mean to you? Day 256 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
SHORT TERM MEMORY Love forgives us for everything, unconditionally. No matter what. Right from now. Love then forgets everything that it forgives. We can start again, afresh. No matter what. Right from now. Love insists that you too forgive yourself, and forget all that you carry as a burden. No matter what. Right from now. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What do you still need to forgive yourself for? Do it now. 2. There is no longer any burden to carry. Are you ready to start afresh, right from now? Day 173 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
ALARM CALL Started in work mode. Straight onto my phone. Planning the day. Checking my appointments. Writing my to do list. Forgot to smile and say good morning to the one I love. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What is the first thing you do each morning when you awaken? 2. Where is your smile? Day 122 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
WORLD WIDE WEB The World Wide Web has existed since the beginning of time. It has enabled people to link up and help one another without limitation. If we say a prayer today for someone in need who we don’t know we can reach out with love and we will change the world. For our gift of love will explode like a million meteor showers, exploding together at once and covering the whole world. And these explosions of love will in turn create more explosions of love. In an instant we can change, help and support the lives of everyone. The exponential growth of love, beyond culture, countries or technology is personal, direct and transformative. It’s our world wide web of love. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Send out a message on the World Wide Web of love. 2. Where will your meteor showers land? Day 96 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
SCENARIO PLANNING There are many ways. You have your own way. And your way has many options and possibilities. Stay on your own path. It may be muddled or uncertain now but it will become clear. Be yourself. Stay true to yourself and to all those who love (and have loved) you for they too are on the path of love and uncertainty. Love all others for your kindness (with a smile and a helping hand) can be a signpost on their journey. And yours. You have a fixed amount of time so take every moment to work for love. All else will pass. Love is. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What are your options and possibilities? 2. How would you describe ‘your way”? Day 83 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
TRIAL AND ERROR My failings remind me that I am still on the right path. They point me again in the right direction. They encourage me as I start again. This is not about determination or effort. Rather it is about the gift of grace which opens the window to let the light in. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What are your failings? 2. How would you describe the gift of grace that enables you to start again? Day 72 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises
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