Our Personal Development is as if we were a newborn

Recently I have had the wonderful privilege of becoming an aunty. Watching my nephew develop in his first few months of life has been amazing; especially as his sight and hearing develop and he becomes more aware each day of his surroundings and of the people around him. His awe and amazement at the world are beautiful to behold.

It made me think how similar we are to newborns when we, as adults, are bringing about deep personal change and in a way being re-born:

• Suddenly things become clearer, often become sharper and brighter, we noticed things we had missed before; as though our sight is newly developing.
• We suddenly have much clearer hearing as we notice new sounds – the intonation, pauses or energy in someone else’s voice, that now tells us so much that we previously missed in discussions.  
• We experience vulnerability as we try out new and unfamiliar senses, behaviours and insights.
• We have excitement and awe when our new way of ‘acting’, ‘reacting’ and ‘being’ brings about completely different experiences.

And just as with newborns supported by parents and family, we are usually safely supported through this development by our coaches, our managers, our trainers or our mentors.