We live in a time where everyone is searching for ways to get more than what they have. Our search will indeed involve the pursuit of more love, more power, more attention, and yes, more money!
The problem is, many of us have been conditioned to believe that this pursuit of more is a self-serving one, and the desire to have more somehow means we AREN’T happy with what we have.
Well, I’ve come to disrupt the norm and shake up some of those traditional teachings about the pursuit of MORE!
I ask you to allow for just a minute, your version of the truth as it pertains to sacrifice and wanting more…to be challenged.
This thinking will likely result in more questions than answers…and that is the glorious beginning of personal development!
As we move through life with all of its twist and turns… peaks and valleys, we should be in constant pursuit of getting more of the things we need, to get us to our next level in life.
As a military spouse, I know this truth all too well. With every new duty station comes a new challenge, and each challenge requires me to dig into my “tool bag” to find the appropriate response. The beautiful truth is, you CAN have more of the things you want and need, and there is no short supply (good news, right).
The greater question is, what are you willing to become to get it?
Personal development is the beginning of getting more than you have, by becoming more than you are.
This is something we all must do to move forward in life and to achieve any level of progress and success. No matter what level of riches you acquire, you’ll never be able to outwit personal growth.
There are very few early institutions of learning that teach children about this concept of getting more by becoming more. If fact, many of us don’t learn this concept until we’ve reached some critical moment in our life where we realize we’ve been sleep walking and operating on auto-pilot based on the teachings of our youth.
We are confronted with an experience that JOLTS us out of our slumber and forces us to face the reality that we are indeed ill prepared to do this thing called “adulting”!
From this awakening emerges (3) categories of people:
- Those that choose to simply sit back and “watch life happen”, accepting whatever it has to offer, and dealing with it as it comes.
- Those that choose to get up and get in action, regardless to what they were or were not taught; they decide to “make it happen” for themselves.
- Those that choose to go back to sleep and hope everything works out for them. They wake up (again, but much later in life) and realize…life has happened all around them, while they slept, and they ask the question “What happened”.
Regardless of your current age when you “wake up” you have the opportunity to start that day.
Make the decision to get more, do more, and have more…by becoming MORE!
I like to think of personal development as the soil for which our souls are planted.
Just like with a plant, the quality of the soil determines the harvest.
There are many factors that affect the quality of the soil, things like the air, water, climate, and the environment. While there are 3 main ingredients (oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen) that make up over 90% of healthy soil…without the other 10% the plants won’t survive in their natural environment. To plant seeds in contaminated soil would produce a contaminated harvest.
The same is true for the human mind; you cannot reap where you have not sown.
While there are many skills necessary to make up a successful, happy, healthy, total person…just as with the plant, there are 3 main ingredients that account for a large percentage of the total person.
While I cannot take credit for coming up with these three components of personal development, I must say…I do agree with one of the world’s greatest thought leaders on this subject, Mr. Jim Rohn.
1. Spiritual
This is not in a religious manner, but in the sense that we are all spiritual beings having a physical experience here on earth.
I encourage you to get connected to and tap into your spiritual being.
2. Mental
Our mind is the doorway from which our life experiences enter and shape our reality.
We must stand guard at the door of our minds, being careful what we allow to gain entry and take up refuge. Make mental exercise a daily practice to strengthen your mind.
3. Physical
The mind and body work so closely together that whatever you subject your body to, the mind will translate it to be so.
I was taught at a very young age that my body was a temple, and to only invite those things in which were blessed to enter my temple. It was for this reason we were never allowed to eat anything until we first blessed it with prayer.
As it pertains to your physical body, it’s important to be conscious of it’s appearance, while being careful not to become self-conscious…which can do more harm than good.
Personal Development is a journey of self-exploration that very few have the courage to voyage.
It’s a path filled with uncertainty, failed starts, exposed fallacies, while yet being filled with opportunities for renewed hope, glorious beginnings, and end-less possibility!
This is just the beginning of personal development, and since I can’t put 10+ years of studying this subject in one article, stay tuned for more on the subject of Becoming More!
I hope this article has stirred your heart and caused you to question what you first thought about your desires to have MORE. No matter what challenges you may be facing, you can start right now…the possibilities are endless!
It will take time, and it won’t happen over night…stay committed to the journey!
What’s Up Next: Stop Letting Your Brain Bully You: Creating Your Own Personal Development Plan!
You May Also enjoy: Becoming MORE – Taking Courageous Action Everyday!