Blueprint Blogs

The concept of lifelong learning has been a subject of much debate and exploration. Is learning a natural instinct, occurring by accident throughout our lives, or is it a deliberate choice made by humans to improve themselves and their understanding of the world? This discussion is reminiscent of the age-old nature vs. nurture argument, where the origins of certain traits are attributed to either inherent qualities or environmental influences. In the context of lifelong learning, the debate revolves around whether learning is an accidental by-product of our experiences or a consciously chosen path that offers numerous benefits or is it both?

In today's fast-paced ‘wellness aware’ landscape, organisations understand the value of investing in employee professional development. Courses in time management, new technologies and processes, teamwork and leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion are some of the most common PD activities in Australia.

But what about the other kind of PD – Personal Development? Does it have a place in an organisation and what benefits can be achieved?

It’s pretty likely that we’ve all worked for or under a bad leader - someone who depletes your creativity, diminishes your desire for innovation, stifles your will to show initiative, crushes your authority or micro-manages you. It feels lousy, deflating, exhausting, mentally draining and demotivating.

And what happens when employees feel this way? They generally leave for greener pastures, where they hope to feel valued and appreciated for their contribution to the ‘team’. This happens all too often and it’s a well-known fact that the cost of keeping existing employees is far less than onboarding new ones.

Let’s start by expressing our gratitude for your contribution to the field of wellness and human potential. The world needs you to keep motivating us to our own greatness.

Did you know that the frequency of your brainwaves changes throughout the day and night and that you can learn to manage these consciously? 

Generally speaking, our brainwaves respond to our activities but it is possible to use simple practices to stimulate the brainwaves of our choice. This can be done through grounding, mindfulness and breathing techniques as well as with sound.  You can learn more in our “Certificate III in Personal Empowerment”. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the brainwave frequencies that we experience. 

We often engage in unhealthy, overly busy work habits and then justify ourselves by saying “I’ll rest on the weekend”. We work ourselves into the ground, burn the social candle at both ends, get seduced by the addictive blue light of our screens at night, and often self-medicate with an alcoholic ‘reward’. It would take the 100-year rest of Sleeping Beauty to repair our systems under those conditions! Even the relaxing benefits of annual holidays only last for a few weeks before we are back on the ‘treadmill’ of work and life, potentially feeling exhausted and overwhelmed again.

Should you hire a Life Coach or study our Personal Empowerment Qualification?

In the last 20 years since life coaching became an alternative to counselling and business mentoring, so many people have engaged a life or business coach to help them get ahead. The services they provide are incredible for helping you do just that.

But not all coaches are equal and not all Coaching Programs are effective. The industry is unregulated, so a person can pretty much do a weekend workshop and call themselves a life coach. For obvious reasons, this could affect the end game for you.

One issue with the coaching industry is the lack of industry standards around the formal training and qualifications of the coach. In an unregulated industry, it can be difficult to distinguish between a well-intentioned amateur, a glossy motivator with good marketing skills, and a qualified, experienced coach and mentor.

One of the things covered in pre-flight briefings is that we should put on our own oxygen masks before assisting others. The metaphor is clear – in order to help others, we need to take care of ourselves first. To do otherwise risks the safety and wellbeing of all parties.

Practically though, we rush around life attending to the needs of others, depleting our own energy , breaching our own boundaries and subjecting ourselves to emotional, physical, chemical and nervous system stressors. This negatively impacts our own wellbeing and overall wellness. On many levels.

Most of the time the human body is amazing at keeping up with life. Sometimes, however, stressful events and cumulative stressors prove too difficult for our bodies to handle and bounce back from. Our health, relationships, career, finances and general wellbeing are easily compromised when we are out of balance and out of energy.

Below is a summary of the different types of stress with common examples. By pragmatically appraising and dealing with the stressors that impact our experience, we can actively pursue activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health and wellbeing.

Yes, I did mean to write it this way. Belief is a powerful force in creation as well as a potential barrier. Let me explain.

Over the last few years the personal development and wellness industry has flourished. It seems every second person has gone to a retreat, engaged with life coaching or has signed up for online master classes. Some are searching for the meaning of life and others simply want a weekend away eating kale and being told to “straighten their back” in the downward dog!

Sadly, many people perceive themselves as flawed in some way - that there is something “wrong” with them that needs changing or concealing. This common insecurity has us exhausting ourselves trying to live up to enhanced, edited, airbrushed and socially conforming versions of ourselves. Acknowledging our imperfections as part of our beauty and uniqueness is perhaps the most self-nurturing gift we can give ourselves.

The Japanese art of Kintsugi (meaning “to join with gold”), is a 500 year old Japanese tradition of repairing the shattered seams of broken ceramics with gold and silver. It treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.

Kintsugi is part of a broader philosophy of embracing the beauty of human flaws and fragility. In a world that so often prizes youth, perfection and excess, kintsugi embraces the old, battered and imperfect. It also teaches calm when a cherished piece of pottery breaks, is a reminder to stay optimistic when things fall apart and to celebrate the flaws and missteps of life.

Our Certificate III in Personal Empowerment approaches self-awareness and growth with the Kintsugi philosophy – all chips, cracks and breakages of life are simply opportunities to create unique and authentic beauty.