Empowering Your Journey: Tips from Svetlana Banks on Personal Development

In front of our house, a magnolia tree grows. I love watching how thin, curled sprouts appear on its branches each spring. Over several days, it’s impossible to tell whether they will become new leaves or buds of unopened flowers. Gradually, the differences emerge, and it becomes clear which are the new leaves and which are the future flowers. I am amazed by the transformation of a small, plump bud into a flower of extraordinary beauty. All these incredible processes happen deep inside, and I only see the result.

Something similar happens with a person. When I think about myself, I am also deeply amazed by the changes that have occurred within me. Just like with the flower, all the main changes happen internally.

I was born with a genetic disorder and realized early on that I was ill and different from others. Unfortunately, in the society where I grew up, people with disabilities were often treated as second or third class. From early childhood, I felt much, and it shaped certain character traits in me. For instance, people would stare at me on the street, point fingers, and make comments. This didn’t make me introverted or unsociable, but it taught me to behave in a way that made me as invulnerable as possible among people.

Imagine what happens when you fall in love, for example. Can you remain invulnerable? Of course not. So, one might suppress the feeling of being in love.

I was a sociable, intelligent girl with many friends who perfectly managed her emotions. Could such a self- and world-aware person ever find true love, respond with mutual feelings, and get married? No.

Changes within me happened gradually, through awareness, choice, and many questions for which I sought answers, through sincere self-discovery. I came to the point where I no longer wanted to be invulnerable. I chose love. Love as the main creative force, the only meaning of life, the driving force behind all good changes and actions. And love makes you vulnerable, open to others. This of course changed my relationships with the opposite sex.

Changes also occurred in my attitude towards study and work. A profound taste for life drove me to explore it from different angles. I enjoyed learning, and I was no longer satisfied with my parents meeting all my needs. I wanted freedom and responsibility. This led me to acquire several degrees and start working.

Any change begins with a change in our thoughts, which leads to changes in actions. This, in turn, completely transforms life. So, I can ask, what in your life would you like to change? What has become unsatisfactory for you? It is in this area that you should change your thinking. Sometimes it's hard for a person to see what specifically needs to change, and how to start a personal development. Therefore, life coaching is an excellent tool to save time and effort and achieve desired changes more quickly.