The Art of Self-Development; Create Your Life with PD Petr Drimalka

A good relationship is a simple thing to have, but often difficult to maintain. It requires a return to simplicity, honesty, and appreciation. Most importantly, a great relationship is also a continuous return to ourselves.

Lying is a curious thing. We learn to lie as children as an important skill of distinguishing fiction from reality. However, many of us grow up without fully understanding what tricks and techniques we used to use as children and how much better off we will be instead if we switch to being increasingly more respectful, appreciative, and honest.

It's good practice to be more mindful and in control of your life. But even when things are planned in the best way possible, something can happen that can change our course unexpectedly and dramatically. Fortunately, things are rarely what they seem, and a seeming adversity is often really an opportunity to do something new and better.

Most of the time, as adults, we live in our thoughts. We do it when we get up, go to work, or when we try to distract ourselves from our feelings with all the modern inventions at our disposal. Most of us barely even remember what it was like to feel and to use our senses. We learned to abstract from reality and construct our lives in our heads. But there is a way out. In fact, there are many ways to return to where we once were as more mature adults who can choose to live better lives.

There's one quality we all have when we are children that most lose over time. And it's not hard work or intelligence alone. At the end of the day, those who can keep their openness and curiosity (or learn to get it back) will always be the ones to succeed.

It is true that the real test of a man is not simply how physically strong or dominant he is. It is how comfortable we are with our emotions, especially as it relates to helping other people and becoming our best, most mature selves. And the peace this affords us has to be earned in the crucible of a fight that is much more important and dire than facing physical conflict alone.