036 - The failure in personal development with Henare O’Brien

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the things I’ve often seen in the world of personal development is men coming in to do some work on themselves and to ‘grow’, but a lot of that is being driven by a desire to become more immune to judgement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We get into the work so that we can become more approvable to others, therefore, less open to some kind of hurt, rejection, judgement, wounding.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is not and cannot be the aim - for that is just attempting to create a shinier veneer, a more presentable and approval armour that we still hide behind.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The aim has to be self-acceptance - the full spectrum acceptance of all of you, including the parts we might have shoved (or have shamed) into the shadows of my existence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This idea of what might be a pervasive side of the world of personal development, and potentially what some may be building a business on is a topic close to the heart and mind of this week’s guest, Henare O’Brien.</span></p> <p> </p> <h3><strong>In this Episode:</strong></h3> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week we discuss some of the darker sides of personal development, some of the, well, let’s call it what it seems to be - hypocrisy in those at the top of this world, those espousing the loudest voices in personal growth.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We explore some of Henare’s own experiences in this world and the impact on himself.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We also enter into conversation about men, about what he thinks is falling down in the support of men; too much</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">telling</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">men how to live and not enough integrity in showing them through lived example.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I have to admit, some of this conversation challenged me and some of my beliefs. I feel