If you are working on your personal development plan, the advice found here will be extremely helpful. Leading self improvement experts share their personal growth strategies. Remember that the key to making the ideas you learn work is applying what you learn.
All of the books that we will ever need to make us as rich, as healthy, as happy, as powerful, as sophisticated and as successful as we want to be have already been written.
People from all walks of life, people with some of the most incredible life experiences, people that have gone from pennies to fortune and from failure to success have taken the time to write down their experiences so that we might share in their wealth of knowledge.
You have probably heard it said that someone went to the “school of hard knocks.” This, of course, means that they may not have had any formal education, but they learned a lot from living their life.
Life is, in fact, the best teacher any of us will ever have. Our past is the lesson, our present is the exam, and our future will be the grades we receive. If we do not learn from the mistakes we have made in the past, we will fail the exam, and our future will be the same as our past. Just like in school, those who do not learn the lessons have to repeat a grade over and over again.
Consider this: “All human activities are based on the desire for increase. People seek more clothes, more food, better shelter, more luxury, more beauty, healthier relationships, more knowledge, more pleasure, and more life. And, there is enough universal substance (including natural resources and brain-power) that every one of these desires can be achieved by everyone.”
This philosophy, professing a “Universe of Abundance” (as opposed to a lack of abundance, with limited resources) is taught in much of the finest literature and by those who’ve dedicated their lives to the study of universal principles.
In her outstanding book, “Choose the Happiness Habit”, Pam Golden writes: “Take the story of two brothers who are twins. One grows up to be an alcoholic bum. The other becomes an extremely successful businessman. When the alcoholic is asked why he became a drunk, he replies, “My father was a drunk.” When the successful businessman is asked why he became successful, he says, “My father was a drunk.” Same background. Same upbringing. Very different choices.”
The brothers chose different thoughts about the identical experience. Those thoughts over the years shaped the circumstances they now find themselves in.
I was in Sacramento, CA, and had an hour’s delay before my flight left. I walked over to the yogurt shop and ordered my favorite concoction, a mixture of the white chocolate mousse and fresh strawberries. As the lady was preparing it I was impressed with her complete thoroughness. When she presented me with the yogurt, it was completely and thoroughly blended and absolutely delicious.
After I finished my yogurt I engaged the lady in conversation. She was of Oriental descent, from Taiwan, and had been in America for 17 years. I asked her how long it had taken her to get a job when she came to America. She said, “One day,” with a big smile.
I remember watching the movie “Dead Poet’s Society” when it was first released in the theaters. Robin Williams’s character is a professor who wants his students to think for themselves, so he makes them stand on top of their desks to view things in a different way. That really stuck with me.
My dictionary tells me that personality is the “personal or individual quality that makes one person be different and act differently from another.”
Personality is “the total physical, intellectual and emotional structure of an individual, including abilities, interests and attitudes.”
Personality is the sum total of all of our qualities. With this in mind, let’s explore the benefits and ramifications of a pleasing personality.
Today at lunch… one of the hostesses came by and, with a pleasant smile, asked us about our meal. We commented that it was delicious, and she said, “I’m really pleased. We’re glad you folks are here, eating with us.” After she left I commented to my wife that she was certainly a pleasant, attractive, personable young woman and my wife wholeheartedly agreed.
You may not have a long term life vision, but you can have a six month or one year vision. The questions to ask yourself are:
– One year from now I will have accomplished … (add at least three things)
– When you do accomplish those things what will you have?
– What will you think of yourself?
– How will you talk to yourself?
Get a bunch of magazines and cut out words, pictures, articles and quotes that reflect your vision and what you will have. Put them in an album. Look at the album at least once a week.
For some strange reason there are millions of us who believe that if a little of something is good for us, a lot would be even better. Sometimes that is true, but frequently it is not.
For example, if a non-swimmer has fallen into water over his head, if you throw him one end of a rope, that’s good. If you throw him both ends of the rope, that’s bad.
In physical fitness, many people believe that if jogging two miles a day is good for you, ten miles would be better. Many people believe that if one particular medication once a day is good for them, two should be twice as good.
Think of your body as a high-powered, finely engineered transportation vehicle, like a space shuttle. Instead of liquid hydrogen, your body is powered by your own intake. The food you eat is the fuel that energizes the vehicle.
What you put in your fuel tank is burned by your high performance activity or – in the case of low-octane, junk food – is deposited in your engine. Think of your mind as the driver who takes control of and steers your body to victory or hits the wall.