Insight is a wonderful thing and can be greatly beneficial. The same can be said for new behaviors and great experiences. It would be pretty safe to say that many of us seek these three commodities regularly. We know that each of them are valuable for the ways that they are enjoyable and improve our lives. Why is it then, that so often when we are trying to improve our lives we seem to get stuck on one of these commodities without incorporating the others?
I read a lot of books on psychology, intervention and self improvement. These brilliant authors/researchers come across nuggets of insight and package them up in language that we can all understand and offer them to us chapter by chapter. Their insights are wonderful.
Then there are the yogi's who teach us how to breath and be centered. Trainers and nutritionists who can push us to better our physical bodies. Through their behavioral modifications they offer us new means to be feeling better and producing more desireable results in our lives.
Many of people use travel, skydiving, attending workshops, volunteering, music, and the arts as experiential ways we can seek to improve ourselves. And they can be beneficial also! Being in a new culture or facing fears and taking in beauty are wonderful ways to experience our lives differently.
I believe foundationally is that for us to have the growth that we are seeking, we must synthesize all three of these before it becomes real and lasting growth. That is exactly what I work to do in my practice.
It seems to me that one of the greatest mistakes that is made in the therapy room is to focus on insight too much. For this reason I will be challenging you to take the insights that we discuss in the therapy room and have them illicit new behaviors. Then we will talk about what it was like for you/ your experience as you tried out these new behaviors. What made it work better for you or what made it feel like it fell short. The process of synthesizing all three of these means of growth will help you take the next best steps in becoming who you want to be in the world and living the life you are hoping for.
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