What is personal growth and development? It’s all about you!

Personal growth and development is all about you!

Asking these questions shows that you are ready to move forward into a different stage in life than the one you are currently living. If you were not ready you would not be searching for personal growth and development. You would be content with your current life, knowing that your future is going to be quite similar to your present.

Let me tell you this: You are alive at this time, in this place, to live a great life!

Are you fully embracing life or is there more you want to achieve?women in the sea

Will you do what it takes to move forward and achieve your dream life?

Or are you thinking ‘I’m pretty comfortable now and it requires too much work to change?’

Ultimately the choice is yours. Read on if you are willing to learn more.

Life is a game: Don’t get too hung up on all the small details

This may be hard for some of you to understand or to believe. This is because you probably take yourself, everyone else, and everything around you too seriously. If you can understand that this is a personal choice you have made based on the information you learned in the past, then you will come to realize that you can also change your mind!

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Go on then, just change your mind now to no longer believe that life should be serious. Go out and have some fun, make new friends, laugh together and abandon all beliefs related to ‘self-suffering’ that you Learn how to achieve all your dreamscurrently hold on to. It really is that easy- if only you could believe it!

Who you are now is not some person that is set in stone, rigid and unbending. You are full of infinite potential. Look at all the people on the planet. Not one of them is completely the same as you. Some may look similar, others may share very similar beliefs, and others may like doing the same things. But there are more than 7,000,000,000 unique individuals out there all with their own personal identity and their own dreams and goals. You are unique amongst all of those people and this is why your journey of personal growth and development will not be the same as anyone else.

Life is a journey: Personal growth and development happen daily

Yes, life is a journey and life is worth living!

The daily struggles with family, friends, work, shopping, traffic, the weather, etc, are just stuff that is happening external to us. We have an internal environment and an external environment.

Stuff happens outside of us, and the majority of people react to it based on ‘previous programs’ or ‘conditioned responses. These reactions happen habitually, therefore with very little or no thought attached to them.

Life does not give us the exact same situations on a daily basis, so it is unwise to react to anything from a conditioned response- especially since most of our learned behaviors were ‘programmed into us before we reached the age of seven! We learned how to behave from our family and peers when we were immature and impressionable. Before seven, our brain was like a sponge, and it absorbed the ideas, beliefs, and habits of those closest to us. Our brain did this automatically, not because these family members and peers were the wisest people around, but because they were the closest to us and they had influence over us.

From birth until seven we had very little choice in what we absorbed. Those ideas, beliefs, and habits remain within our subconscious mind today, and ninety-nine percent of people have no idea of the tremendous influence these subconscious mind programs have in shaping their daily life.

It is wise to learn to question everything that we believe and seek out new information and ideas to convert to new beliefs consistent with what we want to achieve in our life. The more positive thoughts that we focus on the life we want to create, the sooner we will begin to see aspects of our dreams and desires become our new reality.

It is to our advantage that life is a journey! We can learn day by day, one step at a time, and if we begin now, imagine how much closer to our goals we will be in a week, month, or year from now. Begin now by focusing on what you want! It is important to stop every time you become aware of any negative or self-defeating thoughts and replace them with thoughts that will support your goals.

The knowledge and understanding we have at our disposal each and every day is truly vast as we are fortunate to be life is an adventure- we can keep on learning.living in the age of the internet. So much awesome information is at our fingertips to help us define where we want to go in our lives, and more importantly, the steps we can take to help us achieve our dreams. Spend time each day learning that which supports you! Many of us still do not value ourselves, or our time, and so waste it absorbing mindless entertainment– which is just a distraction our mind craves to keep things the same.

It is to our advantage that more and more people are aware of personal growth and development!

This gives us so many more people to share our ideas with, to teach them what we know, and learn what has worked and not worked for them. We are all on this beautiful planet together. Share and have fun with others. Your heart and soul will love you for it.

How to live the good life: Just relax, and remember to breathe

Haha! No, seriously, there is more to it than just relaxing and remembering to breathe. However, it is the best place to start!

A relaxed body and mind are more able to understand and assimilate new information, so it is a good idea to become aware of how you are feeling and what you are thinking about on a VERY regular basis. The more you become conscious of your body and mind, the easier it will become, until eventually a new habit is formed within your psyche and therefore a new way of being is formed. This IS a big step along the road to personal growth and development.

Wanting to change our circumstances is one thing, but that alone will not equate to an ‘improvement’ in our quality of life.

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After formulating some ideas on what we want to change within ourselves and about our lives, we need to take action to begin down the road of making these changes our new reality. This really is a big deal, and people often become overwhelmed by the tasks ahead. If our plans are too ambitious to begin with, we may give up after hitting the first few obstacles and then decide that changing is too difficult.

This is why we must continuously be conscious of how we are thinking and feeling. Our thoughts must be kind and supportive of our self. We must see beyond any fear, distress, or discomfort we may be feeling AT THIS MOMENT and adjust our daily journey accordingly so that we can remain in a state of ‘wellness’ that will allow us to continue to journey forward to living the best life we possibly can.

The power of your subconscious mind: Use it!!!

Our mind is our greatest ally. However, most of us have never been taught to use this awesome tool to our advantage. Most of us are only consciously aware of five percent of our thoughts. This means that it is the other ninety-five percent of stuff happening in our unconscious mind that is having the greatest influence over our lives at any given time.

We all have a tremendous ability to improve our lives, but only in this present moment! Use the power of your mind to focus on ways you can help yourself at this moment, here and now! Do it in as many moments as you can and you will be creating a better future for yourself, starting now!tree pose in the sea

If conscious thinking for five percent of the time has allowed you to create this current life, imagine what you could achieve if you become aware of your thoughts for eight or ten percent of the time. Then imagine again, what if you could, with practice, turn every-one of your thoughts into a self-supporting positive affirmation about personal health, wealth, happiness, and wisdom. Do you think this could change your life for the better?

Change your mind change your life! How to change your mind.

So, do you want to know how to change your mind so that it supports your personal growth and development?

Remember: Life is a journey, and yes, life is worth living. And we can only live now, at this moment. Sure reminiscing about the past is nice, complaining about the neighbors is great, being annoyed because you are smarter than the boss is ok, having the same argument with you partner…. not so great, but the point here is: None of these thoughts and many many others that we have every day of our lives is helping create the positive, abundant, happy future life that we want for our self.

So….. Change your mind and you will change your life!

Focus on the positive things you already have, be grateful for your family and friends, and learn to just laugh and have fun!

Become mindful of your thoughts and feelings, and remember to just relax and breathe deeply with a smile.

Shared with love and respect to you all

Andrew

 

30 thoughts on “What is personal growth and development? It’s all about you!

  1. Hi Andrew. Thanks for your inspirational post. I agree with you that we all have a tremendous ability to improve our lives, but only in this present moment! We often focus too much on the external environment. We always care about how others’ think about us. Our society exerts a lot of control over us and affects our minds a lot. Sometimes we should pay more attention to our mind. and focus on ‘what do we really want to do’ instead of what our friends/families want us to do. Having the courage to improve our lives is very important.

    1. Hi Ty. Thanks for your comments. Having the courage to deviate from what others expect from us is often our biggest hurdle to personal growth and development. Others may think we are being selfish when we tend to our own needs first, however they are just acting our from their ‘programming’ which has taught them that we should not put our needs before the needs of others. I believe it is just common sense that once we are strong, healthy, abundant, confident, etc. we will have so much more to offer to help others than if we are weak, sick and poor. Therefore, our main priority in life should always be to maintain ourselves in a state of wellbeing so that others, by default, will benefit from our strengths.
      I wish you wellness and abundance on your journey. Shared with love and respect,
      Andrew

  2. This is a very inspirational and downright awesome post, Andrew. Much respect for all the good work you put in here.

    I also have to strongly agree that the mind is the greatest ally. It both allows and prevents us from doing so many things in life. But in the end, it’s up to us to take control and put a stop to all the negative thinking and be above the petty stuff that slows us down.

    I’m as guilty as any for that kind of bad behavior, but at least now I’m well versed to recognize it. That’s the first step to self-improvement.

    Thanks again,
    Tyson

    1. Hi Tyson. Many thanks for your comments. You are so right. It is up to us to be the creator of the life we want for ourselves.
      We are actually creating all of the time, but most people are not consciously aware that they are, with their thoughts and actions, creating their future ALL of the time. If any of us are not happy with the way our lives have turned out, we can change our outcomes by consciously choosing thoughts and actions that will lead us towards the future that we actually want to be living! This does require conscious effort, and the effort is worth it. Why wouldn’t we want to have everything we desire? It is definitely achievable for each and every one of us.
      Thanks for sharing,
      Andrew

  3. Andrew! Well said! I feel like there’s a lot of conflicting ideas on personal development and growth. But I like how you distilled it into a few different parts. Being mindful about your own issues and being aware of yourself is a good start point! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Hi Bobby. I think there is a lot of confusion out there because of the conflicting ideas. But in my opinion, the more we simplify the process. the more achievable it is for us. Life is not meant to be complicated. We, as souls, are here to have fun and grow with experience. The best kind of fun is natural, spontaneous and simple. You cant plan, organize, control, and restrict yourself and still expect to have fun. Keep it simple, and the journey of life becomes easier and much more enjoyable.
      I wish you all the best, my friend. Kind regards,
      Andrew

  4. Thanks for sharing this wonderful post. As you said Andrew “Focus on the positive things you already have, be grateful for your family and friends, and learn to just laugh” that’s true. what we do all the time is we are focus on what we don’t have yet and that bring us stress, anxiety etc… we are not even if grateful for our breath. we need to change our mindset to positive.
    Have a great day!

    1. Hi Arif. Many thanks for sharing your thoughts. It all starts with our breath, and as you say most of us are not even grateful for it or even aware of our breathing habits. I will write more articles on this soon so please come back to read them.
      Also, as you mention, gratitude is so important in manifesting abundance and joy into our lives, and yes, we have to start with being grateful for what we already have, even if it is not much. A positive, happy, successful life is a choice, and it is one that we alone can create for ourselves, and it begins right now with the very thoughts that are currently running through our minds. Are your current thoughts setting you up for a better future that the life that you currently have? I hope so. Shared with love and respect,
      Andrew

  5. Once again Andrew, a very thought-provoking article ! You are so right, our lives, the universe, is always in constant change….it’s always evolving, so, as an individual, we should embrace that notion, and to not only be willing to change, but facilitate the change into a better YOU! Situations, sometimes out of our control, are gonna change in our lives regardless of our willingness or not to make a change, so it’s best to not resist change, and make the best of it, and insure that change turns into a positive, and as you so clearly stated, it’s all about positive thinking, and changing a perceived negative into a positive! Thanks for sharing, and keep me posted on your next article.

    1. Hi Terry. Yes, nothing stays the same. Change is a natural state of being and it is our ability to go with it, or our resistance to it that either makes us feel like we are in or out of control of our own lives. The best choice is obviously to be able to adapt to change and turn everything to our advantage as you have suggested. Thanks for sharing. Kind regards,
      Andrew

  6. Hi Andrew,

    Great post, life is definitely a journey and one that is beautiful precious and sometimes difficult to understand all at the same time, my journey thus far has been all mentioned, but I couldn’t have made it to where I am today without the help of Jesus walking along the journey with me and showing me how to navigate the turns and windy roads, all in all, great insight great post.
    Thanks

    1. Hi Charlie. Many thanks for your comments. I appreciate that you took the time to read my post. I wish you well on your journey. Kind regards,
      Andrew

  7. You’ve really written some great stuff here. I am working on remembering that life is a journey and it doesn’t have to be perfect now to enjoy it.

    1. Hi Mariah. Thanks for your kind comments. Most peoples idea of a ‘perfect’ life is something different to what they are currently living. So they are always wanting ‘something else’ before they can be happy. This just leads to feelings of dissatisfaction with how things currently are.
      If we can remember to bring our attention to the present moment and present situation, we can find something to be happy and joyful about. In this way, all of our steps on the journey will be more satisfying and fulfilling.
      Enjoy your journey now! it is a personal choice.
      Much love
      Andrew

  8. hello Andrew! great article. Your words are so inspiring. I believe you are right, change your mind, change your life. Our minds are such a powerful thing. I’m finding that how my day goes is really up to me, and how i look at the world around me:) I am in control of my destiny. Thanks for this great post. Heather

    1. Fantastic. Now we just need to keep spreading the word so that more and more people will wake up and take control of their own lives.
      Kind regards
      Andrew

  9. Awesome, I clicked on the first underlined phrase for personal growth and development. Ready to buy something and that doesn’t happen a lot. I would like to know more and think the underlined should take me to your affiliate link so I can buy your book or what you believe in. Make those links, I’m impressed!

    1. Many thanks. Haha, my website is still under construction. I will be adding links within the next few weeks. Thanks for your kind comments.
      Kind regards
      Andrew

  10. Hello Andrew,
    Great article and it certainly resonated with me. I think not many people realize the impressions that become (sometimes) a basis for children and the way they choose to live their lives later. I know the ages from 0-7yrs may not seem like much ‘direction’ can be imputed, but unbelievably, ‘marks are left’ and oftentimes unknowingly. And yes, life is what you choose to make of it. You have to take action and drive in the ‘positive’ lane – it will certainly make things easier.
    Keep up the great job.
    Michelle

    1. Many thanks, Michelle. I appreciate that you took the time to read my blog.
      Yes, I think parents really have a lot to learn about the huge influence they have in determining their children’s outcomes in life. If only they knew, I think many parents would pay closer attention to the information their children are exposed to.
      Kind regards
      Andrew

  11. I am normally a pretty pessimistic individual and have been trying to become more positive.

    After reading this article, you showed me that personal gains happen every single day in a variety of ways. A personal gain doesn’t have to be making a million dollars or becoming fit.

    It can be something as small as, hey, I made 20 dollars today. Or, hey, I lost a pound today.

    Thank you for showing me life is a marathon not a sprint.

    Russell

    1. Haha, yes it all of the small steps that add up to major victories later in life. This is why it’s so important to invest our energy, in the present moment, to our best advantage with regard to the future we want to be living.
      Kind regards,
      Andrew

  12. Great and useful article for learning how to enjoy life. Life definitely a journey and I try to learn something new every day. Jobs are very stressful in the world today so learning how to relax and not let everything get to you is critical. I am retired now, so things are far less stressful for me. Mindset is the first step to changing your life for the better. Thanks again for this information.

  13. Thank you so much for a great post. Why am reading your article on personal growth? I have made so many mistakes in my life, big mistakes. My past mistakes were mainly centered on getting rich quick, I end up losing my wealthy in the process. Nothing like getting rich quick exists in this world. So have come to believe that you can only become what you are by developing yourself, you can never forge success.

    1. A mistake is only a mistake if you don’t learn anything from it. You have learned something valuable that will serve you well for the rest of your life. Self-development is the answer to all of our problems. Together we will grow and make the world a better place.
      Kind regards
      Andrew

  14. Hello Andrew,
    Looks good and yes life is a journey and the thing about life is we never stop learning every new day carries a new story of its own and in that, we learn something new about it and that’s an education in its self.

    Dave.

    1. I think it is exciting that we can learn at any time we choose to. If we can embrace the journey as a tool for personal growth, we will always be having fun.
      Many thanks, Dave.

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