In the 16th century, Saint Teresa of Avila, a Catholic saint, wrote a book called ‘Interior Castle’ that encourages self-reflection, guiding people to get closer to God. Through the book, she compares the soul to a castle that has seven mansions. Each of these mansions symbolises levels of growth. Though the book guides individuals’ religious and spiritual journeys, it can also be adapted to help people on their path to self-development daily.
The self-development process can be supported by Saint Teresa’s model, with each of the seven mansions or rooms directing an individual towards the best version of themselves.
- The first room encourages self-awareness, which involves reflecting on how you feel and what you want and making a small change in that direction.
- The second room encourages people to focus on their goals by overcoming distractions and things that do not align with their goals.
- The third room underscores the value of self-discipline and self-control. This involves practising habits that take you closer to your ambitions and avoiding unhealthy practices.
- The fourth room represents a stage where you experience clarity, calmness and ease. It is similar to learning to ride a bicycle. You might struggle and fall many times while learning to balance. However, eventually you get the hang of it.
- The fifth room represents transformation, a stage where you allow yourself to trust your journey, evolve naturally and prepare for further stages.
- The sixth room teaches resilience. Though you experience challenges as you move closer to your goal, you must work to overcome them.
- The seventh and final room represents reaching the best version of yourself, similar to finishing an important school project.
This model teaches you that each step of growth comes with new lessons.
