[fusion_text]“Personal growth TODAY makes you a better person tomorrow” – John C Maxwell
Late in August, I had the pleasure of seeing John C. Maxwell live for the third time. I am a bit of a junkie as I own a number of his audio books, so he keeps me company in the car fairly often. Anyway, last week he made the following statement, ““Personal growth today makes you a better person tomorrow” and I had to write it down, because I believe it wholeheartedly.
Let’s face it, we are all on a journey of personal growth … some move a little faster than others, yet I believe we all learn something every day, even if we don’t admit it. That said, I believe our personal growth journey really takes off once we are aware of that journey and then become intentional about it.
I became aware of my personal growth journey back in 2010 when I started my own health business with USANA Health Sciences. Something I learned very quickly in the world of Network Marketing was the significant focus on investing in myself, my learning and personal growth. It began with Jim Rohn and Earl Nightingale, then Napoleon Hill. Now, not all of these mentors resonated with me right away, but those that did, I kept reading and listening to.
About a year later, at my first convention, I was delighted to be introduced to Darren Hardy, Jen Groover and John C. Maxwell, to name a few, and I was hooked! All the teachings to us entrepreneurs (new and seasoned) applied to what I was doing in corporate as well. I was soaking up all I could, bringing it back to work with me and figuring out how to apply it in the workplace. I had a little lending library as I was so eager to share with anyone else who wanted to learn. Some things took and others didn’t, and that was ok, because I was continually learning more about me and my interests as well as those of my colleagues and leaders.
Following those leaders came introductions to Brendon Burchard, Jack Canfield, Tony Robbins, Dr. Libby Weaver, Gabby Bernstein and Brenè Brown among others. Some in person and others by reference.
I’m diving deep in to success principles, health, leadership, self care, confidence, living in the present, trusting in something greater than me (God, The Universe etc.), business building, relationships, meditation and the list goes on.
So, why am I all amped up about personal growth? For me, it is one of the keys that helped me lift the lid that was holding me back. I spent many years being “the good girl”, following the rules and living according to the expectations of others. I’ve always been a servant leader, sometimes at the expense of finding and hearing my own voice. So, here are some of the benefits I have found from my own personal growth journey.
Increased Self Awareness & Inquisitiveness – The more I read or listened to some of these new mentors, the more clearly I was able to identify those that resonated with my values and those that made me cringe. Rather than set aside those ideas that made me cringe or that I didn’t “get”, I began to revisit them with a goal to better understand what made me uncomfortable. Also, it’s actually quite freeing to know there is so much more to learn!
Perspective – Whole new worlds and viewpoints have been opened up for me and I’m continually seeking more. I’ve become much more well rounded as my perspectives evolve from the beliefs acquired while growing up, plus my own life experiences to now reading and learning from some of the great teachers of our time and really everyone I meet. As a personal coach, it is vitally important that I do not impose my beliefs and perspective on my clients – I MUST coach from where they are, starting first with understanding what is most important to them. When they are stuck, I have a growing portfolio of different perspectives I can offer for consideration, and ultimately they choose what works for them.
Confidence – I love the quote “It is better to be interested than interesting”. I’ve always been interested in what others have to say (after all, that kept the spotlight off me!) however now I am willing to have an open dialogue when my personal perspective is different. You see, not only am I interested in other viewpoints, I’m willing to share my own – if any of you are (or have been) like me, that’s a big step! In the past, I would remain interested but choose not carry the conversation deeper in order to avoid rocking the boat or creating conflict. Being engaged with others is much more fun AND we all learn more!
All of this is GROWTH and for me, I’m hooked!
“People are anxious to improve their circumstances but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.” – James Allen[/fusion_text][tagline_box backgroundcolor=”” shadow=”yes” shadowopacity=”0.7″ border=”1px” bordercolor=”#aa0101″ highlightposition=”top” content_alignment=”center” link=”” linktarget=”_self” modal=”” button_size=”” button_shape=”” button_type=”” buttoncolor=”” button=”” title=”Over to YOU!” description=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””]
It’s never too late to start your personal growth journey
•If you don’t know where to start, find a mentor you find interesting … read (or listen), internalize and apply what resonates with you (I’ve mentioned a few of my favourites above)
•Think of an area in which you’d like to learn more. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you in this area and be prepared ask questions and learn.
•Figure out what you are good at and invest time to build on that strength – how can you use it more creatively and to serve others?
•If you don’t have one, create a morning ritual to start your day off with intention and increased energy
•Eliminate 1 hour of TV and open up a good book OR listen to an audio book while you are doing chores
Don’t assume you will continue to grow … set an Intention to grow
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