Many of my students and clients admit that they are tired of working on themselves, because “self-improvement” causes them to feel like they should continuously be aspiring to be better, rather than affording opportunities to rest in who and where they are. I couldn’t agree more.

Learning how to accept yourself as a work in progress, to cultivate compassion in place of criticism, and nurturing and nourishing instead of neglecting yourself, is what I consider living your life as “a path of enlightenment.”

Unlike the single-focused, driving force, “make it happen” books and workshops that dominate the self-help market, the Hawaii Wellness Institute embraces the more yielding precepts of Eastern philosophies. We give emphasis to values like acceptance and peace of mind, while placing them within the context of Western values like efficiency, ambition, productivity and selfless service.

We get ourselves into trouble when we choose one way over the other. Both are needed: a rich life on the inside, through self-reflection and contemplation, and a rich life on the outside, through hard work, play, and creativity. Losing your balance means living a life of either/or instead of both/and. Both work and play, both aloneness and togetherness, both discipline and indulgence all result in a life that reflects equilibrium and peace of mind.

Commit to a life filled with more love and joy by eliminating old patterns that consistently result in stress. The journey of transforming your life requires rediscovering the core values you may have abandoned in your day-to-day life, simply because there hasn’t been enough time to keep up with it all.

To reverse the symptoms of self-neglect that result from the constant drive to cure, fix, acquire and improve yourself requires a belief change. You will have to commit to living according to your highest values first. You will need to learn to distinguish whether your experiences of fear stem from your intuition or from your insecurity.

You can use self-hypnosis, personal inquiry, journaling, counseling, breath work, self-reflection, body consciousness, meditation and more to assist you. If you are ready for a personal transformation experience, and feel that you cannot break old patterns of thoughts and behaviors on your own, call for a session with me or join Roshani Shay for her upcoming meditation series. You will clear obstacles that arise on your own path of enlightenment and establish a new way of being, a new way of living your own best life.

http://www.hawaiiwellnessinstitute.org

Author's Bio: 

Dr. Sunny Massad is the President and Founder of the Hawaii Wellness Institute, a nonprofit training organization in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is widely known for the warmth, enthusiasm, and humor that she brings to the subjects of performance enhancement, lifestyle management, and burnout reversal. She investigates the inner attitudes and values that promote stress, fear, apathy, and self-sabotage, so professionals can learn to make the most of their unique capabilities without neglecting their own health and welfare.
Sunny Massad has an excellent reputation as a keynote speaker and corporate trainer specializing in a unique approach that combines the best of Eastern philosophy with the motivational systems of Western psychology. She has been a guest on over a dozen television and radio programs, contributes articles to local newspapers, is adept at radio and print media interviews, and is known for her ability to teach profound psychological concepts in a practical manner that is easily understood by people from any educational or cultural background. She is a part-time teacher at Westbrook and Chaminade Universities, is the Director of Education at the Hawaii Wellness Institute, an Editorial Board Member of the Noumenon Journal , and is an active member of the Hawaii Speakers Association.
Sunny Massad is the originator of the trademarked system of counseling called UnTherapy® and is an active member of the American Counseling Association. She runs a successful private practice as a counselor in Honolulu, specializing in stress-related conflict. She is known for her solution-oriented, no-nonsense approach to problem-solving, her sense of humor, and her ability to cut directly to the root of any issue.