An Incredible Sequential, Integrated Inner Journey
Dr. Gockley’s 11-step inner journey to the heart—a comprehensive, sequential, and integrated inner process—is presented in Awaken Your Inner Self: Five Life-Changing Miracles by Dr. Gil Gockley. It is a complete portrayal of The Art of Becoming More Fully Human.
Eleven Steps to Emotional and Spiritual Health and Happiness
This inner process can be understood as a clear path with
Three connected outcomes:
- Connecting with and strengthening your inner Self
- Nourishing the Spirit within
- Developing social awareness so you can present your BEST to others
Below is a high-level view of how the steps flow together.
Connecting With and Strengthening Your Inner Self
The first step is to identify your feelings to yourself before you say or do anything. This connects you to your inner Self—step two. Dr. Gockley shares that he does not know any other way to connect with the real, honest, and open you.
Once connected, you can decide on an appropriate way to deal with your feelings—step three:
- Flow with it— ignore the comment, forgive the person, and move on.
- Face it— express one feeling, one thought, and tell what you need.
Next, you strengthen your inner Self through twelve unique, life-enhancing self-discovery activities—steps five through eight.
Acquiring a Tapestry of Inner Goodness — Becoming Your BEST
Through the first nine steps, you fill your inner Self with positive concepts of Self—with “good stuff”—with a tapestry of inner goodness, becoming your BEST.
Connecting With and Nourishing the Spirit Within
You connect with the Spirit within through meditation, and through contemplation, you talk with your inner Self in the presence of the Spirit within—step four.
You nourish the Spirit within through acting upon Five Spiritual Gifts and 26 messages from Jesus—step ten.
Attaining Communication and Social Skills — Presenting Your BEST to Others
Through modeling, listening, asking clarifying questions, seeking support when needed, and learning effective social skills, you are ready to present your BEST to others.
Takeaway
This process is designed to be sequential and integrated: you begin with self-awareness, strengthen the inner Self, develop inner goodness, connect deeply with the Spirit within, and then carry what you’ve gained into your relationships and the wider world.
Conclusion
Part I introduces the foundation of the entire journey: becoming more fully human from the inside out. The steps are not meant to be rushed—they are meant to be lived. As you move through them in order, the result is a stronger inner Self, deeper Spiritual grounding, and a more love-centered way of communicating and living with others.
