The beginning

Investing in self-knowledge is an act of self-love—one that begins a transformation from the inside out.Yes, because first you look inward, you start to deeply understand yourself, and only then does the development process begin. Of course, like any transformation, it takes time, energy—and yes, it hurts. It will hurt, but that pain will show you the truth. And if you allow it, it will make you stronger.

This reminds me of how a pearl is formed.Did you know it’s the result of a defense mechanism inside oysters? When the oyster detects an intruder inside its shell, it reacts by producing a substance that coats the irritant and turns it into what we call nacre—or mother-of-pearl. (Nalewicki, How Do Oysters Make Pearls?, 2022).Now think about it: what if the oyster hadn’t been paying attention and let the intruder go unnoticed? Or what if it had noticed but taken no action?We wouldn’t have those beautiful shimmering gems in nature.

Like oysters, we often carry something inside us that causes discomfort or holds us back from growing. We need to look within and be aware of what’s happening in our minds.Once we acknowledge our current state and push through the discomfort of growth—that’s when the real magic happens.

Life will still be imperfect in some way, okay?But what I want to say is this: you can prepare yourself to face the hardest situations—by starting with the understanding that in life, there are things we can control and things we simply can’t. And if it’s something you can’t control, then why waste your energy on it?

Wow—quite a bit to reflect on today.

I want to help you become the best at what you do. To keep going even when you don’t feel like it. To discover what drives you, build your self-esteem, and pursue your goals with intention. So if you want to learn how to unlock your full potential, stay tuned for the next posts.

And to wrap up for today, I want to leave you with a few propositions:

• Cultivate integrity as the foundation of every relationship.

• Be the first to change—and then observe what shifts around you.

• Stop looking for people to blame—or for those who have it easier.

See you soon!

REFERENCES

Nalewicki, J. (2022, 22 de julho). Como as ostras fazem pérolas? LiveScience. Consultado em 29 de janeiro de 2023 de https://www.livescience.com/32289-how-do-oysters-make-pearls.html