Alfonso Andre has noticed that if he wants to improve, he needs to become aware of his weaknesses. He knows that his pride and temper can hold him back, and he also knows that he needs to be praised and to tolerate criticism in order to grow.

Alfonso Andre sometimes feels a conflict between his desire for social and professional success and his need for a stable, secure domestic life. He is deeply committed to both ideas and does not always succeed in reconciling their schedules and demands on him. Sometimes it feels as though he will never be able to find a balance. However, no job promotion will really satisfy him if he has neglected his most intimate needs and desires. Although it sometimes seems easier to him to climb the rungs of the career ladder out there in the real world, if he merely sacrifices his domestic life, he is only trying to fool himself. He should accept the fact that his domestic life is the true basis and foundation of his development. All his career endeavors and success will be even more rewarding if they are supported by a safe, warm personal life.

Alfonso Andre:

My emotions fluctuate and unstable. Although I have the ability to detach myself from my emotions to analyze and observe them, this tendency sometimes prevents me from truly engaging myself in emotional terms and may act as a defense against any emotional impact. This is the reason why I subject all my feelings to an intellectual interpretation rather than yielding to them. It is also the reason why I might falter, hesitate, contradict myself and seem to say both yes and no when I have an opportunity to commit myself emotionally. I should make a conscious effort to overcome this unconscious conditioning which may be related to my childhood. I must first learn to observe and assimilate other people’s feelings instead of rejecting them. This exercise will teach me to understand my own reactions and affects better.

To trust yourself better and gain self-assurance, the first step is to learn to say no. Once you are capable of saying no to others, you can say yes to life. You must develop your awareness of all the good things in your life, as well as all the changes you hope to make in order to enjoy life more. This is the foundation that will support you, the inexhaustible source and center of the transformation of your personality. Infantile anxieties which arose in childhood when you were helpless may be obstacles to your evolution. Sometimes they actually prevent you from daring to confront challenges you would be altogether capable of assuming now! One of the reasons you yield to these childhood fears so readily is that they procure a feeling so familiar to you that, although it is negative, it is a reassuring part of your identity. However, the more often you reinforce this complex by yielding to that feeling, the more unaware you become of your true emotional state. The irrational childhood fears have also reinforced your pessimistic tendencies. It is difficult for you to believe in the sunny side of life because of the pernicious little voice inside you that claims you don’t really deserve all this goodness. This side of you could undermine your vitality and force you to compensate or flee from reality. In doing so, you limit your power to bring about a positive change in yourself or your life. It’s a vicious cycle, and to free yourself, the first step is to free yourself from the fears which prevent you from taking full advantage of life. You can succeed if you arrange a relaxed, positive environment for yourself, establish sincere relations with one or two special people, and, if possible, find a setting – perhaps a yoga class – in which you can practice relaxation exercises.