I Believe in Personal Development

I believe in personal development. I believe in the process of teaching and growing myself beyond what I previously believed was possible.

Photo Credit: the bbp

This is not to say that I don’t value formal education in a classroom with a knowledgeable professor, or sitting down to coffee with an old chap who has a grand story to tell.

The reality is that any success in my life has come primarily from curiosity, investigation, and rock solid ambition to pursue anything and everything that sparks my soul.

If you read my first book, Graduated and Clueless, you know that I am highly fanatical about non-fiction books, especially ones on personal growth, entrepreneurship, and natural health.

Moon Whang

I give all the credit to this phenomena in my life to a man I hated for 9 weeks, my former employer, Mr. Moon Whang. Moon was a great boss, but I didn’t understand him, his business strategies, or the silly sales games he would make me play. I was required to work long hours, sell products I didn’t like, and read books he told me would “change my life.”

All in all, I was disgusted with my experience and wanted nothing to do with him, his cheesy sales company, or any of the ridiculous training that he promised would increase my bottom line.

Road Maps

During my last week on the job I started reading a book Moon recommended, John Maxwell’s Your Road Map For Success. Up until that point in time I had only used a highlighter in college to cram for tests.

When I found myself highlighting this book, I was a little thrown off. The text was incredibly easy to follow, unmistakably genuine, and remarkably inspirational. I was hooked.

I knew that I would quit my sales job with Moon, but something about this book changed me. I began reading other books on personal finance, internet business, leadership, and spirituality.

PD Junky

I discovered the self-help section in book stores and become a personal development junky.

I was reading faster than I could comprehend the information and I didn’t see an end in sight.

Fast forward one year and I had run my first marathon, got engaged to the girl of my dreams, moved 1,000 miles across the country, and cut up all of my credit cards.

This was just the tip of the iceberg and I knew the trajectory of my life was vastly different from before.

I am a completely different person than I was a few years ago when I sat down with Moon Whang and told him why I really wanted to sell Verizon Business Phone Service to unwilling patrons in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Where do I go from here?

Anywhere. I can literally pick up a good book, learn something new, and change anything I want about my life.

• Thinking about starting your own business online? Look no further than Tim Ferriss.
• Considering losing a few pounds after the holidays? The China Study and The 80/10/10 Diet will surely redirect those fat cells to somewhere else, forever.

I’m serious when I say that personal development can change anything about who you are, where you want to go, and how you will enjoy the ride along the way.

Genuine change takes time, but it only takes an instant to change your mind.