| The words personal development, self development | | | | life; happiness, enjoyment, pleasure and fun. Just |
| and self improvement, all one and the same, have | | | | imagine how you would feel to hear your children say |
| been bandied about for decades. Best sellers have | | | | "my dad/mum is great fun, we have crazy times |
| been written and bought and have given some people | | | | together". Through personal development you will have |
| the boost that they needed to change their life. Yet | | | | every opportunity to create a lifetime of happiness, fun |
| many have languished on the bookshelf, never read or | | | | and laughter. That is your main work and personal |
| acted upon. In this time of world wide economic | | | | development will help you to do it. |
| downturn, the personal development industry is | | | | 3. Do you have a burning desire to achieve prosperity |
| booming as people seek meaning and direction in their | | | | at every level; financially, in relationships, physically, |
| lives. But what is personal development, what can it do | | | | emotionally, with your lifestyle and have plenty of time? |
| for you? | | | | Sometimes I hear people talk about prosperity as if it is |
| 1. Almost every person has beliefs that they have a | | | | only about money while others talk about prosperity |
| very strong relationship with, having cultivated that | | | | from a much broader perspective. One of my clients |
| belief for a long time. Some of these are given to us | | | | recently told me that to her, prosperity was about the |
| when we are very young as gifts from our parents, | | | | feeling of success and that she felt successful when |
| grandparents or other people like teachers who we | | | | she had time to herself without having to be working |
| may have grown to love and trust. These beliefs must | | | | her business and she had the freedom to make her |
| be right so we hold on to them very tightly as guide | | | | own decisions in relation to travel, where she lived and |
| posts for the way we live our lives. Often though, | | | | on what she spent her money. She went on to say |
| these beliefs hold us back from achieving all that we | | | | that having this feeling of success in all areas of her |
| possibly could. As an example you may believe that | | | | life was being prosperous. Successful and prosperous |
| everyone grows up and gets a job, they work hard at | | | | people are usually devotees of personal development. |
| that job, they earn an income and look forward to the | | | | 4. Personal development will help you to become the |
| day that they can retire. Perhaps you then wish, at | | | | person you want to be. Often people have carried |
| some point in your life, to buy a business but you find | | | | with them from childhood, a dream to be a certain |
| that you can not quite do it. You really want to, you | | | | person. This might be a person who helps others, a |
| have done heaps of research, you have even found | | | | person who changes the way we treat the |
| the perfect business. But you still can not take that | | | | environment, or a person who changes the policies of |
| leap of faith that is required. | | | | government so that there is a fairer go for more |
| Could it be that your belief that you grow up and get a | | | | people. Whatever, personal development helps you to |
| job is so strong that it overrules your desire to be your | | | | realise those dreams; to reconnect with them in the |
| own boss? Limiting beliefs such as these can and do | | | | first instance and to work out how to take personal |
| hold many people back from their dreams and a life of | | | | action to achieve them. You can be the person you |
| freedom. The best personal development programs | | | | truly want to be and you could even be better! |
| will help you to clear limiting beliefs form your life, | | | | 5. Through using personal development strategies and |
| leaving you in the driving seat and not some misguided | | | | actions you can act to make the world a better place; |
| but well meant messages that you received in the | | | | you can spread generosity and appreciation wherever |
| past. | | | | you go. Learn how to shift your focus from those |
| 2. Perhaps, like many people, you have spent years | | | | things that you do not like to see to those things that |
| wondering what your real purpose is in life. Well what if | | | | you do like to see and then how to make room in your |
| I told you that it is to be happy, enjoy life and have fun. | | | | life by being generous and compassionate with others. |
| Would your life right now qualify for any of these | | | | Now that has got to be a good thing. |
| titles? | | | | Now that you know a little about what personal |
| You will contribute far more to your work and the | | | | development is and what it can do for you, I would |
| community, not to mention your family and friends if | | | | love to hear from you about what you have been |
| you are happy and enjoying yourself. There has been | | | | doing and found that works. Or how may resources |
| ample research done around this very subject and | | | | you have sitting in your own personal library, languishing, |
| there are now happiness gurus and even laughter | | | | untouched and why. |
| experts who will help you to find this very essence of | | | | |