GROWTH AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Written by: Mary Onalapo

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.
To develop personally is a self mastery act that can push an individual forward. Personal Development is a continuous process that when initiated grooms an individual and makes him or her grow, evolve, improve and develop over time to become a better person and a better version of himself/ herself.

It is important to note that each individual must make that personal decision. It’s a decision that can not be outsourced even though several input from others are required in the developmental process.

Personal development is a Personal Project. 

A person that has developed himself or herself is an asset to his/her Creator and the world at large.

I believe that as we progress in these reading you will be motivated to add a little extra to yourself to become a person that has mastered Personal Development in all aspects of Human relation.

The following outlines will be considered;
1. What is personal development?
2. Personal development quotes to help invest in ourselves.
3. In what aspect can we develop ourselves?
4. Results of personal development, to us and people around us.

The importance of personal development cannot be overstated. It is the secret that separates a person from the pack, the bridge that carries us towards the goals set or are yet to be reach.

We spend a ton of time investing in things the numb us to the reality of how short life is. Things such as scrolling through the internet for hours on ending or watching TV to the point of restlessness.

Entertainment is fun and can’t be understated but how much time do we saved for ourselves in all these time we squander away?
I believe it’s time to set aside time for things that will improve our lives and make us better Individuals, 

How can we set aside dedicated time for personal development? How can we learn and grow in a way that defines our existences?

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT QUOTES
1. “Income seldom exceeds personal development”- Jim Rohn.

2. Every moment of one’s existence is growing into more or retreating into less.”-Norman Mailer.

3. You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.”-Henry David Thoreau.

4. Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and Spiritually we are as good as dead -Morihei Ueshiba.

5.

Personal development is a major time-saver.The better you become, the less time it takes you to achieve your goals

Brain Tracy

6. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be”-Ralph Waldo Emerson.

7. Man’s life is independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but for the development of his self -B.R.Ambedkar

8. Change equals self improvement. Push yourself to places you haven’t been before.”-Pat Summitt.

9. There is nothing noble in being Superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being Superior to your former self. -Ernest Hemingway.

10.

Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it’s almost always due to personal growth.

John C Maxwell

11. Personal development is the belief that you are worth the effort, time and energy needed to develop yourself”-Denis Waitley.

12. Be patient with your self. Self-growth is tender ; It’s holy ground. There’s no greater investment -Stephen Covey.

13

One can choose to go back toward safety or forward towards growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again. –

Abraham Maslow.

14. Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you.”-Robin sharma.

15. In this world you’re either growing or you’re dying, so get in motion and grow.”-Lou Holtz.

IN WHAT ASPECT OF LIFE CAN WE DEVELOP OURSELVES?

We can develop ourselves in the following aspect of life;

Spiritually

Financially

Professionally

Vocationally

Morally

Now lets explain the following areas of life where we need to Personally develop ourselves

SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT:
It is highly important for evey person to develop spiritually since the spiritual controls virtually every other aspect of human endeavor. People who have had the spiritual aspect of their lives developed live better, happier, fulfilled and optimistic lives.

 There is this unexplainable craving and longing in every heart that cannot be satisfied by anything or anyone other than God. 
 It is interesting to note that from creation, God already put a void and yearning in each and every human heart to long for Him so that it is only until He is found that the longing can be satisfied and void filled.

Thus when that craving is filled, there is inner peace and assurance that God can be relied on for existence, sustainable and well being at all times.

Anyone can start from the spot they are presently on their Personal Development journey and from there move forward.

Here are some ways we can improve our spiritual capacity and develop.

1 By studying the word of God. “Wherewithal shall a man cleanse his way?by taking heed there to according to thy word.With my whole heart have I sought thee:O let me not wander from thy commandment.Thy word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against you.Blessed art thou, O LORD:teach me thy statutes”Psalm 119vs9-12.

To develop Spiritually, The only Spiritual developmental manual in the whole wide world  is the BIBLE. The Bible is the All-In-All (AIA) Manual that is complete, full, accurate and precise.

It contains Proverbs, Precept, Principles, History, References, Standards, Laws, Quotes, Direction, Songs, Instructions, Correction, Admonitions, Wisdom, Patterns and Examples..

 It is the only Guide and Compass to live and navigate to a fulfilled, blessed and glorious life. . 
1Tim.3vs16″All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,for correction in righteousness”

2. Listening to  Messages from Godly ministers.
 Listening to Godly servants of God from time to time is critical. We are blessed with seasoned Generals of faith that know God’s endtime agenda.

To develop Spiritually, It is expidient to try to listen to them from time to time to learn from them, listen to hear what God has said in the past and what He is saying by His spirit presently and what He has for tomorrow.

3. Pray without ceasing; for yourself and for other persons around .1 Thessalonians 5vs 17. Prayer is the Master Key. It is a Spiritual exercise that unlocks victory, healings, safety, provision, protection and every that is desired. Praying is an act of communication, as you speak to God, He also longs to speak back to you by communicating His mind across in prayer.

4. Listen to ministrations relevant to your call or ministry.

5. Fasting and Praying.

6. Baptism by immersion. Acts 8vs3

7. Baptism of the Holy ghost, with evidence of speaking in tongues. Jude vs20 .The Enabler is the Holy Spirit, He is also the Spirit of Truth that teaches His own all things. He is a gentle spirit that empowers for exploits beyond the ordinary and common manifestations.

Speaking in Tongues is one of evidence of the infilling of the Holy Sprit in people’s  lifes. The presence of the Holy Sprit in an individual also impartation with His gifts and fruits.

8. Evangelizing. Acts 8vs5,Acts 1vs8.This is preaching to others in a bid to win them over to the Lord’s side 

9. Doing and teaching the word of God. Acts 1vs1.We must be hearers and doers of the the Word of God. As we become doers, we must teacher others too to become doers of the will of God.

10. Reading spiritual books in relevant areas of life. 2Tim.2vs15.

11.By loving the Lord and loving your neighbors as well.1corinthians13.

12. Learn to forgive and let go Matthew 6vs12.

FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT

It is so critical to develop financially because until a person is financially independent he has no control over his life and time.  Financial development is a way to be personally empowered financially.

A financially developed person will be able to help himself and others around him. We must know that to be financially developed takes time, effort, energy and dedication to work . 

That in short means  everyone must give himself or herself room to develop since Rome was not built in a day.

The biggest and largest room on earth is the room for improvement.

Financial development occurs in bits and can not be attained overnight but the outcome is obvious for all to see.

How can we develop Financially

1. Wait on the Lord for what can be done to generate income with maximum profit
I believe everything in this world is controlled by a spirit.For example Deuteronomy 8vs18a says”But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God : For it is he that giveth thee Power to make wealth,…”Be it business, vocation, ministry, career or anything godly. It is only God that Knows the exact profession that will work out best for you as His child.

Trial and Error is not part of God’s package for His children. He wants to lead His people to the exact venture he wants for them, but then there must be willingness to ask Him and allow Him lead the way. So we need to go and ask him in Prayers for the type of business venture He wants us in.

2. Start with what you have

After we receive clearance on what to do, then you must Start. In the parable of the Talents in the Bible, the man that was given one talent refused to work with it and he suffered for it. His neglecting to use his talent was tantamount to wickedness since he refused to profit with what he was gifted.

To be practical now, it is not all ventures that needs money or capital to start however some are capital intensive, we must know and understand what we are entering into.

If little or no money is required to start your business, them it is advisable to start. Most people fail to understand that starting can be as little as someone wanting to make her hair which you are good at, and then you go ahead and make the hair and you collect your service charge from them as compensation for the work done or making a decent dress or garment for a client in need of one.

Surprisingly, God has endowed or talented  you with one, two or even multiple talents, and whatever God has bestowed on a person is not a waste or supposed to be wasted when it is traded with. It can be skills, gifts, talent e.t.c.

This talent could be what you are naturally good at (some thing that comes with ease ) or what you have learnt and become conversant and relatively good at.

Do you know a person can give advise and that can lead to a kind of rewards that is unimaginable?  As simple as giving a good and timely advice can be a business. We all should not be afraid to start small.

Do not let anyone (including your self) despise the days of little beginning.”

3. Make research about what your vision entail. So that you will not start what you can’t finish. We must count the cost of every vision. The band wagon effect of everyone is doing it, I also must do it is not allowed, a person must do due diligence to research and find out what it entails to succeed in the business venture God has ordained for him/her.

4. Be prudent in spending. It has been discovered that, everyone at a point in life are opened to resources in monetary value, but what matters and differentiate one person from another is what each does with what they have at hand.
 How do you spend your own Money? 

That is where investment comes in, some others spend money while others invest it.

5. Work with positive minds. Don’t  work with discouragers. Association matters and is a key in every endeavor in life. A discouraged mind will discouraged others. Discouragement is a disease.

6. Don’t eat your capital as a business personnel. For a person in business, your capital is very important, do not eat it. A capital is the seed that you keep sowing and trading with always. It’s from your capital profit comes. A business not making profit might be spending it’s capital unknowingly.
If the capital of an establishment is tampered with, it is only a matter of time before the establishment runs out of Business.
7. Be focused.
8. Read books about financial capacity.A reader is a leader. Reading gives a person avenue to recieving insight from the advise, experiences, exposure and expertise the Author. Reading makes the reader travel the authors world through imagination to gain life tips and lessons from his/her perspective. It’s like seeing life through the lens of another person.
9. Listen to people that are ahead of you in your field that are succeeding.
10. Shun  procastination. To grow and develop, a person really needs to stop the” I will do it later syndrome”. The best time to start is NOW.
11. Pay your tithes.
Tithing is a mystery that can only be understood by God’s elect and matured minds. A rational thinking human will argue and reason how 100% salary would not be enough to satisfy his/her need let alone when he gives out 10% when humanly speaking 90% can’t suffice to cater for the needs in ground.

Tithing is God’s command, 

He wrote explicitly in His word by saying  “Prove me Now”.

The prove me now is God’s side of the bargain to fullfil, what God needs is just the obedience to His words so that as we release our 10%, His Blessing rests on the 90% remaining. This empowers the 90% to become 1000% ie more than enough for the Obedient individual.

MORAL DEVELOPMENT.

Character, Attitude, Morals and Behavior speaks louder than words.

Morals is concerned with and related to what is right and wrong in human behavior, it is also based on what you think is right and good, agreeing with a standard of right behavior. 

The scripture says in Pro 31:30

Charm and grace are deceptive and beauty is vain because it is not lasting.

Morals, character, behavior and attitude are inter-related and no matter the altitude a person attains in life, it is his/her attitude that will determine if he/she will stay long or be sustained in that Height.
That means it is expidient for us to check our moral values.

The following points are important to note regarding Morals.

* Our Morals and mode of conduct:

  Learn to say these words at appropriate time:

There is a rythm that says: These are 5 magic words that must be learnt by all

Sorry. By saying sorry even when you are not wrong.

Please.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

Pardon me

That kind of behavior is rude and disrespectful. Behavior and attitudes like these speaks a lot about our personality.

*Our mode of dressing.

The way you are dressed is the way you would be addressed.

*Mode of presentation. By learning how to say no politely. It is good to learn to say No, but that No should be said without grudges or fight. We must learn to converse politely even when what is been requested or suggested is morally or spiritually wrong. 

We might use words like
It might not be possible,

I’m not sure I will come,

 I don’t think i will be available

When sinners entice you, consent thou not

Pro1:10

I not really interested, 

maybe some other times e.t.c…

* Response to pressure; it shouldn’t be with anger. Pressure from outside should not trigger a person to the point where he/she loses his/her cool.

We need to always calm down as sound decisions are not made :

1. When you are angry.
2. When you are happy or excited
3. When you are sad or in pain
4. When in a hurry or in haste

The scripture has this to say about Morals.
2 peter1:5-8 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

PROFESSIONAl DEVELOPMENT
It is always good to be a valued employee liked by your Boss and Subordinate but if your skills and contributions to your organization do not progress or accelerate over the years chances are that that person may find himself/ herself out of job in no time.

 It’s always good to be in your bosses good book but that most times do not give progress and promotion at work. It is mostly what is offered to the organization in terms of ideas, advice, decision making, negotiation and “on the job” task that differentiate one employee from the others for promotion or renumeration.

Asides from the requisite knowledge and competence that makes a candidate qualified to interview for a role, there is a need to develop capacity professionally by getting more certificate if it is needed for promotion, by attending seminars, training, webinars, workshop and other essential activities that qualifies for promotion.

Asides from certificates, good customer and public relations, competence, communication skills, proper time management, assertiveness, a CAN-DO spirit, discipline, good attitude, cooporation, kindness, problem solving skill and empathy must be imbibed and added to certificate in order to last on a Job.

VOCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This is similar to that of professional development, because it involves our effeciency in what so we are doing. In addition to  that, the scripture says in Eccleciates9vs10 tells us “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave,whither thou goest”

 My question now is why don't we like investing in personal development (causes/reasons)

10 REASONS WHY PEOPLE DON’T INVEST IN THEIR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT.

   

There may be many more but I can bet that there is a solution to each of these challenges but the starting step has to be the change from within and self-appraisal or introspection.

What Can Be Done To Change The Situation?

1. Have short term and long term goals

2. Find a Coach and a Mentor, who can help you in your journey.

3. Allocate some me time, for self-development.

4. Be willing to take feedback from others.

5. Practice the learning (execution) whenever and wherever you can.

6. Measure the change and ROI. 

 Somebody once said “if you don’t GROW (developed), you will GROAN“. either financially or spiritually etc.

CONCLUSION

Personal Development is a huge investment and a developed person is a Total Being, This investment will take time, grit and determination but is a worthy investment. 

Personal development is a necessity for anyone who intends to remain relevant in life and be the best or get to the peak of his life in every aspect e g spiritually, physically, professionally, socially e.t.c especially in this age which we live.

The word If you are loaded, you will be needed is only possible through Personal Development.

If a person fails to develop, he might not be needed after all.

Thanks for reading
 Best of luck
And may the ‘New You’  emerge from the shadows.

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