Personal Growth … Don’t Take It Personally!
There have been hundreds of thousands of books written on the topic of personal growth.
If you search “personal growth books” at Amazon.com you will get 74,039 titles.
And while personal growth can be a very personal topic, it certainly doesn’t mean that personal growth is all about YOU!
In fact, research shows that having a personal growth breakthrough typically comes when you surrender and let go of your ego.
It means you let go of what you think of yourself and what others think of you, so that you can free yourself from the small, self-centered, ego-driven mindset that keeps you stuck and feeling less than.
Don’t get me wrong … I am not saying personal growth doesn’t have anything to do with you … of course it does .. .you have to be the one who decides to take action or “not”. Sometimes personal growth means doing nothing and sitting in the discomfort.
What I am saying is that if you make your personal growth ALL about you, you actually limit your potential to grow.
All of the great spiritual leaders teach that in order to grow, we need get out of our own way and put the little “I” aside. They teach us to go beyond our insecurities and fear of “not being enough” and sit in the place of knowing that we are perfect just the way we are and where we are for the moment. Not because of what we do, but because of who we are.
If you are a leader, it is critically important that you grow in order to be a better leader … for your people. Your job as a leader is to help others reach their full potential … and you can’t do that if your focus is all about you.
If you are a parent, it means you become a better parent so you can love your children regardless of whether they are smarter, prettier, or more athletic, than your friends’ kids. You help your children realize their gifted-ness so they can be themselves …. not who you want them to be!
As a partner or spouse, you pursue personal growth so you can be a better partner, so you can love and support them for who they are, regardless of whether they become the “ideal” partner you want them to be. I am not talking about being a door mat or staying in a relationship where you never get your needs met. I am talking about letting go of keeping score, remembering who did what and when, and forgiving them for old stuff, so you can be free to be the best partner that you can be … that is personal growth!
So now it’s your turn …
How are you growing as a leader, a parent, or a spouse? What are you doing, reading, learning, or letting go of so you can serve others at an even higher level?
How would your life be different if you pursued personal growth, so that you could serve others, bring out the best in others, and help them to find their place in this world?
How would you grow personally as a result?
Now that’s what I call … personal growth!!
