Written by Molly Schreiber, Founder + CEO, Challenge to Change, Inc.
" When we have a meaningful relationship with ourselves, we are more open to personal growth and self-improvement. This continuous self-development leads to a more fulfilling and purposeful life." ~ Molly Schreiber
How well do you know yourself? Like really know yourself?
Do you ever ask yourself these questions?
Oftentimes, we know whether we like pizza or not. We know if we are allergic to eggs or just don’t care for them. But how well do you really understand yourself?
Challenge To Change has developed an online challenge to help Changemakers make healthy choices for learning to give of themselves in a healthy and loving way. By learning this, they come to better know and understand themselves.
That’s what Developing a Relationship With Yourself Challenge is all about. It is a 50-day challenge where participants go on a personal empowerment journey of knowing themselves better to enable them to make healthier choices and give of themselves in a healthier way.
If this challenge sounds familiar to you, it should! We first launched Developing a Relationship with Yourself this summer. It brought such positive change and connection, we thought it would be a great way to start the new year.
Here is a snapshot of what you can expect to learn more about!
Benefits of Developing a Relationship with Yourself
1. Self-Awareness
Building a deeper connection with ourselves allows us to become more self-aware. We can understand our thoughts, emotions, strengths, weaknesses, and values better. This self-awareness helps us make better decisions, set realistic goals, and live a more authentic life.
One of the most profound experiences I had was the second time I reviewed the concept of anger in the CHOOSE yourself portion of the course. In this section of the journal, we were asked to identify our anger and the difference between being a thermostat and a thermometer. I discovered, through this work, what the signals of oncoming anger are in me when I am a thermometer. This has helped me navigate many situations since and, knowing the oncoming signs of anger in me, I was better able to address the needs in front of me.
2. Self-Acceptance
Developing a meaningful relationship with ourselves involves accepting who we are, including our flaws and imperfections. By building our self-acceptance, we promote self-love and boost our self-esteem. It allows us to be kinder and more compassionate towards ourselves, leading to improved mental and emotional well-being.
I have always had trouble with self-acceptance. I was an anxious child, nervous about her curly hair and freckles. Now, as an adult woman, I want to love that little Molly and tell her how perfect she is- just as she is. Because I now know how to fill my cup with healthy ways of GIVING of myself, I have naturally become more compassionate and empathetic toward myself.
3. Personal Growth
When we have a meaningful relationship with ourselves, we are more open to personal growth and self-improvement. We can identify areas where we want to grow, set goals, and work towards becoming the best version of ourselves. This continuous self-development leads to a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
I have always been a goal setter - some might even say a high-achiever. I have learned in this course that this is a healthy type of stress called “Eustress.” It is a type of stress that keeps us motivated and moving forward in achieving goals. Those who know me well understand I have always been motivated by stress, sometimes in an unhealthy way. However, with my new personal growth of navigating with eustress, I know what healthy CHOICES I can make in evaluating my stress level and making changes when I need to for my own personal health.
4. Healthy Relationships with Others
Building a meaningful relationship with ourselves is the foundation for healthy relationships with others. When we understand and accept ourselves, we can communicate our needs, boundaries, and desires effectively. This leads to more authentic and fulfilling connections with others, as we can establish healthier and more balanced relationships.
I have always said “you become the average of the five people you hold closest to you in your life, so choose wisely.” In this KCG course of developing a deeper relationship with yourself, we next-level it with a concept called “Your Theater of Life.” In this section of the journal we create our personal theater.
We wisely choose the people we would want inside our venue if we were performing on stage. This activity really helped me to dive into where I want people around me in my life. Do I want them in the front row? The balcony? Cleaning the bathrooms? We truly decide where we put people in our lives.
5. Resilience
Developing a meaningful relationship with ourselves helps us build resilience. We become better equipped to handle challenges, setbacks, and failures. We can bounce back from difficult situations and maintain a positive outlook on life. This resilience allows us to navigate through life's ups and downs with greater ease and grace.
Many of you have read my previous blogs about my life’s hardships. The loss of my husband. Becoming a widow at a young age with three tiny children. Navigating a breast cancer journey. We all have our own hardships, but how do YOU want to navigate your hardships? Do you want to be a victim in the arena of life? Or a victor? YOU get to decide. This course will help you to develop skills of resilience through understanding yourself at a level you may have never even dreamed of.
I encourage you to join us on this 50-day journey of developing a more meaningful relationship with yourself. When you dive into this PHD in yourself, you are navigating crucial skills for self-awareness, self-acceptance, personal growth, healthy relationships, and resilience. This course is an investment in your overall well-being and leads to a more fulfilling and purposeful life.
Already done the course? Well, it is new and improved!
Better still, if you have already enrolled in this challenge this summer, you'll get the updated version FREE! All you have to do is log-in to your C2C Hub account. Hub subscribers get access to all of our challenges included with their membership. You can get a free 2-week trial now.
If this is your first time joining, you can purchase the Digital Challenge Bundle by clicking here. I would highly suggest purchasing the physical journal and printed affirmation card deck bundle that I created for this challenge.
Like this challenge, I have personally completed Dr. Liza Johnson’s KCG Personal Empowerment course several times. Each time I “redo” the course, I learn more and more about myself, and I develop a greater self-awareness. Each time I navigate the process of Know. Choose. Give. (or KCG for short), I find out deeper truths about myself.
If you know me, I am a seeker of all knowledge and what better topic to seek truth on than yourself. I took what I learned and added it to our challenge, creating a 2.0 version that reflects on our WHY.
This is your PERSONAL invitation from me! What do you have to lose? What better way to begin understanding yourself a little more?
How It Works:
Read the day's theme in your journal
Draw a card from your Positive Affirmations deck
Watch the day's video
Journal on the day's prompt and reflect on your affirmation card.
Complete the day's daily mindfulness activity.
Optional: Come share your journey on the private Facebook group.
What you’ll get in the Digital Bundle 2.0:
50 NEW videos from Molly for each day
EXCLUSIVE downloadable challenge journal
Digital Positive Affirmations card deck*
Access to our private Facebook group to connect with Molly and other changemakers!
*If this is your first time joining, you can purchase the Digital Challenge Bundle by clicking here. I would highly suggest purchasing the physical journal and printed affirmation card deck bundle that I created just for this challenge.
This challenge officially re-launches on January 8th, 2023 but you can join anytime!
And, as always, ALL challenges are FREE to C2C Hub members! You can get a free 2-week trial now.