In life, we often stick to old habits and patterns because we are scared of change—the truth is that it’s always a good time to take a different path and find fulfillment. The term “neuroplasticity” means that our brain can change itself at any age by forming new connections between brain cells when we learn and practice new concepts.
Fear, insecurity, and sometimes laziness, play a significant role in our choices, but the other problem is that we live in a goal-oriented world—the society we live in pushes us to make life choices before we are ready. The system puts pressure on us and undermines the importance of self-awareness and the appreciation for our inner beauty and strength.
Celeste Cai lived her life without asking any questions until she started to develop a desire to understand the human behavior. In her early 20s, she decided to abandon her career as a designer and study psychology. Celeste is a Registered Clinical Counsellor living in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has worked in the mental sector for seven years, and she has learned what pain and suffering can do to the mind.
“I realized what made a difference between those who thrive and those who merely survive – it was all about character. Although we may sometimes feel limited by certain conditions, building character is still a choice,”
Celeste told me when I met her.
Celeste developed a passion for helping women, in particular. Her desire to support them and her experience prompted her to create a project to help women harness their inner wisdom through the proven technique of journaling. She decided to develop Her Words, Her Guide, the first of her series in Her Words, Her World to inspire women to incorporate practices into their daily lives that strengthen core character virtues for personal success. For each one of the virtues, she created a section where women can read to understand the meaning and the importance of the word, reflect to assess what each virtue means to them, respond taking steps to apply the virtues to their life, and finally review how they have put every virtue into practice.
The eight core virtues:
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Self-awareness – to be mindful of your mental, emotional and physical being.
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Purpose – to find your calling and to discover how you want to contribute to others.
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Confidence – to be yourself and harness your strengths and talents.
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Perseverance – to not give up when you find obstacles on your path.
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Humility – to have a teachable spirit and treat others with respect.
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Curiosity – to appreciate what the world has to offer and look at it with child’s eyes.
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Courage – to confront fear and step out of your comfort zone.
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Compassion – to empathize and act with kindness towards yourself and others.
Putting these virtues first was the exact approach that helped Celeste change her career path from graphic design to psychology while continuing to harness her creative skills. Using character virtues as core psychological principles in the journal, Celeste hopes to guide women to empower themselves through self-discovery and nurturing their inner resources. When the strength and flexibility of character is harnessed, personal fulfillment will then become possible and genuine.
Support Celeste’s project here.