- Knock Knock

Who’s There?

- You

You Who?

- If you don’t know, then I certainly can’t tell you!

Yes, I did come up with that fantastically cheesy joke all by myself!  And, if you know me, you’ll appreciate that’s who I AM!  Hopefully at the very least it made you chuckle or put a smile on your face!

So, personal growth.  We hear the term all the time, and indeed we should.  But, what is it?, how do you achieve it?, and most importantly, is it worth your time?

Many of us have a different understanding or definition of what personal growth is.  I’m pretty lax in my definition: any activity, person or experience which assists you in growing as a person (self-awareness, self-knowledge, identity, identifying talents, potentials and dreams).  I surveyed my friends on Facebook, and the most comprehensive answer came from Derek Hansen:

“Personal Development is the action that is a result of a realization that life is not just happen-chance but a conscious decision. When one realizes that the life he lives is a result of his thoughts, habits and actions, he begins to work on the internal to achieve the external desired results. This is a conscious decision to work on the subconscious …”

I believe that we constantly are pursuing personal growth, even from a very early age.  Sometimes, especially as children, we don’t even realize it.  Consider a young pre-teen or teen, struggling to figure out who they are and where they fit in this world.  As adults though, I feel it is of the utmost importance to (as Derek would say) make a conscious decision to work on the subconscious.

Think back…when did you begin to “come into your own”?  What I mean by this is, at what time in your life did you truly begin to understand who you are, what you like, dislike, your drivers, your passions….when were you comfortable with who YOU are?  For some, that moment may not have come yet.  And, that’s OKAY!

Many external factors, which we often do not have control over, shape who we become.  I consider life a journey, a book if you will.  Each chapter being marked by a significant event or personal change.  By the end of my life, I hope to have a thousand chapters in my book and I pray that my book is a testimony to a life that was consistently being molded by positivity.

We may not always be in control of our circumstances, but we are all in charge of our attitudes 100% of the time.

Let’s do a quick gut check….

When was the last time you took responsibility for a failed project at work?  When was the last time that you laughed instead of cursed when you were stuck in traffic and running late?  When was the last time you retaliated with a smile against the person who upset you?  When was the last time something didn’t go the way you had expected or wished and instead of getting frustrated, you looked for the silver lining and made the best of what was offered?

Because we don’t control 100% of our circumstances, it is important to take the opportunity to create as many positive situations as possible.  It’s like preventive

health for your mind and soul.  There are many ways for us to develop ourselves, and guess what….it’s fun!  We have a choice to shape who we are.  I like to think that we can do and BE whatever we set our minds to.

A few great ways to do this:

• Surround yourself with positive people whom you wish to imitate
• Read positive books
• Listen to positive teachings and music
• Reflect on where you want to be and focus on positive goals

I’m sure that you have begun to see a pattern.  The pattern is this: what you put into your mind comes out through your actions.  Like your mother used to tell you, “you are what you eat”.  The same is true with what you put into your mind.  In fact more so.  I learned something interesting last week that I want to share with you and I would like you to consider.

I was at VideoPlus University and had the honor of hearing Darren Hardy speak.  Darren is the Publisher and Editorial Director of SUCCESS magazine and a leader in the realm of personal growth.  He is passionate about this subject and discussed something which I had not considered previously.  You will always hear people talk about the importance about blocking out negative in order to change your life for the positive.  In fact, it is the premise of many personal growth books; one classic example being, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

Darren asked, “What is your brain’s primary function?”.  He went on to explain that the true primary function of our brain is to keep us alive, it is a “survival organ”.  This means that we are naturally wary of danger.  Our brain seeks any form of a threat, so that we may protect ourselves from it.

I thought to myself….this totally explains why I’m a newsaholic!  In today’s media driven society it is difficult to block out every negative influence.  With the world at our fingertips, on our mobile devices, in our cars, in our homes we have nearly instant access to negativity-on-demand!

This is why it is more important than ever to pour in the positive!  Each one of us are our own best tool, we need to stay sharp!  When we choose to develop who we are, we do indeed become our own best asset.