Being a better person

I consider my self a human oriented person who seek better understanding the “meaning," the “logos” of humanity among the complexities, volatility, uncertainty and change that we all experience through our lives.

One of the reasons Neuro-Semantics and coaching appeared enchanting to me were the words transformation, meaning, human potential, modeling, development, around the idea of working to become a better person, a better version of oneself, a self-actualized person to reach the peak of human most transcendent aspirations.This sounds appealing and seducing for most people and yet needs to be revisited

I must admit my convictions and beliefs that inspire my idea of a person, what a person is, comes from and is called to in life. These principles illuminate my belief that a person comes from one source of life and has an specific mission in it. Yes, I do believe we all have a natural impulse to seek our self-actualization that moves us in a direction that makes sense to us

 Regarding “being a better person” what I can reflect combining Neuro-Semantics with Edith Stein’s publications (among other authors) in “The Structure of Human Person” as well as my own learnings and experience in life:

 1. Bounty of human nature as a gift. 

We are one with our body, mind, soul and emotions. A gift from nature marvelously created and crafted. An amazing unique piece of creation in the universe. And yet sometimes we fail to fully comprehend the depth of our existence as a given for a unique reason. A reason that appears blurry at times, hidden and yet present deep in our intimate self ready to be discovered in the unfolding of our lives through time.

2. A call to perfection. 

We believe humans are a non-finished individuals, always in constant growth and development seeking, aiming and working to be better human beings. Grow inside to grow out to better cope with self, others and the world. That call to perfection, in the sense of aiming to the best human being possible needs to gain ground to move along towards this “sense of perfection”. As Maslow pointed out, the B-needs that energizes and thrust us for self-actualization, transcendence, innate most highest human aspirations that awakens our human potentials.

 3. The experience of freedom.

A basic human condition and right, not always properly managed originated from the visualization of boundaries we build around our minds contrasted to the real boundaries imposed by reality. Unleashing from the internal leashes we keep acquiring in the diverse circumstances we face. Unleashing from our own wrong, imprecise perceptions and mapping of our realities. Positively put, a proper understanding and handling of our own states and meta-states constitutes a strong tool to experience freedom from within, a basic condition of human life. Use our freedom always respecting other’s. In order to reach our full potential we need to experience freedom internally and externally.

 4. Responsibility that implies being part of mankind.

We are social individuals and related to others by nature in an already organized arena as we land in the world; this reality needs to be acknowledged in order to better interact with others. Being a better person in relation to mankind, in our own eyes and through the eyes of nature or superior being. Change the scope from “me” to “us” and from “us“ to “others”; transit from ego-centricity to communal thinking and behaving. Being able to cause good and no harm to others, be the root cause for other’s well-being, joy, peace and happiness constitutes a pillar in any social structure starting within our families. Manage our need and demand for the basic sense of belonging and at the same time be able to welcome and accept others as they are with no biases or judgements.

5. Mind, body, emotions and spirit, the four basic elements inside the human system.  

Neuro-Semantics plays with these four elements to make our lives and other’s easier, in a better understanding of the system to better function to our own self-actualization efforts, to unleash and unfold our full potentials for the good, bounty, truth and beauty. It is the machinery where the sense, logos and meaning are constructed, decisions are made, emotions are felt, and actions are executed. Nurture our mind with positive and constructive thoughts and beliefs. Purify our intentions to produce good. Nurture and care of our body to better serve. Govern our affections and emotions to behave congruently. Nurture our spirits to comply to life principles as members of the universe.

6. Knowledge of self and love.  

A basic yet not always clear enough subject. Self awareness is a process while we transit in the world. Being a better person demands think, feel and act to seek goodness, truth and beauty through love. Better persons are usually love champions. How does love work in the system, how do we understand it, choose it, give it and receive it? Great people learn to love. The more we share, the more we receive. The more we ignore and retain, the more scarcity. Abundance, generosity, sharing, eagerness for service others, are all signs of great people.

7. Our capacity of reasoning. 

Amazing innate capacity that differentiates us from other types of living creatures. In Neuro-Semantic’s intellectual capital, is precisely our capacity of self reflection the mean to translating realities into our own map of the world making sense of the world in our relationship with it. Being a better person means being able to manage in a healthy way our meanings, intentions, self, states, our powers, our relationships to others, through time and with the world around us

 8. Humility and vulnerability.  

Humility comes from the root humus (earth, grounded, mud) which means “from the earth”. A needed truth to remember at all times. Being a better person claims to recognize our origins, our need to be grounded to reality. In a similar sense, recognizing the truth about ourselves, such as falling into mistake, wrong perceptions, judgements, incongruities. Yes, we are vulnerable, not perfect; we are in construct, not finished. Therefore self-awareness and full acceptance of our vulnerabilities as facts, will let us walk and behave without arrogance, self-sufficiency imposing “our way” to others, but harmonizing with reality instead. 

9. The purpose of Work. 

Our work rises, is shown, expressed and it is ordered, (in the sense of being organized and put together) from love, through love and to love. Our own professional ordinary work can rise and be created from our natural incline and desire to love; at the same time the immediate primary beneficiary of our work is us. Thus, work may constitute a source of self-actualization by itself. Work is ordered to benefit others, support and make others better human beings 

Summarizing: 

• Being a better person is a high innate aspiration raised from love, expressed in love mode and targeted to love others. Learn to love and willingness to do so helps to become a better person.
• Taking care of our minds, thoughts, beliefs, meaning constructing and intentions.
• Be responsible from and to others.
• Leave people better than we found them
• Transform ourselves, the people we touch, our planet and the world for the best.