Self Development why bother?
Self Development why bother?
“For the best return on your money, pour your purse into your head.” ― Benjamin Franklin
Have you ever wanted more? More of anything? For any reason?
Have you ever considered why that was?
It is human nature for people to be explorers, inventors, creators or to wish they were. It’s a human evolutionary trait and has ensured the survival of the species so far, and enshrined man as the top species on the planet, by way of adaptation, versatility with living environments, and ability to either change to suit an environment, or change the environment to suit man.
Whilst you might not think that this affects you, it’s the same drive that makes you want to stretch just that little bit, be that little bit better, score a little higher, to want more.
As children, we wanted to impress Mummy and Daddy and how good we were at anything we did. At school, we either strove to be the best in class or on the athletics field, or were envious of those who excelled. We paid homage to the top athletes, the highest achievers in any competition, and if we were shown to be failures at any time, it was a time of derision, and sometimes shame for us.
This is the human evolutionary program, and it has a lot to do with the Darwinian theories. The law of the jungle, the fittest and best survive and thrive to ensure continuity of the species.
“Man is not going to wait passively for millions of years before evolution offers him a better brain.” ― Corneliu E Giurgea
So, Self Development why bother? How does it relate to you, now?
The feelings of frustration you experience from time to time are tied in with this. Those feelings of frustration are telling you that you are not winning, that you are not good enough to succeed at this challenge, and you need to become better. It’s that evolutionary programming at work, pushing you to learn more, so you can be more and do more and achieve more.
That’s not to say that you are being forced into continual retraining. It’s just a reminder to you, gently, that you need to keep up to date with your skills.
However, look at where your frustration occurs. Does this suggest something to you?
If you are continually frustrated in a particular area of your life, let’s use relationships as an example, the frustration is urging you to develop more in that area of life. If your relationships are difficult to begin, short-lived, painful, end badly and leave scars, you don’t really need to be told that there is probably something you have yet to learn in the relationships field.
It’s not a call to become the guru of self development – just a call to perhaps pick up a book at the library and see if you can get some tips.
Self development why bother with growth and learning when so many people seem to get by just fine, and they seem like perfect morons to me?
That’s true too. There are those people who appear to wander through this world, totally ignorant of everything around them and yet they seem to manage. It’s all relative to your desired place in your world and your community. Is THAT how you want to be perceived by the people around you? Or would you rather some respect when you speak?
There are times in life when we decide to stretch a little, perhaps getting married, asking the question, daring to invite or allow another person into your life. Perhaps it’s starting a business, taking your idea to the market place and asking people to trust you enough to do business with you. Perhaps buying a house, and asking the bank to respect you enough to assist you with a home loan.
It’s times like these that you really don’t want to be seen as the village idiot. It’s a great reason to want to try to be more than you are, to reach your potential.
But it’s not the only reason!
Self development why bother to aim even higher?
There IS so much more! We are each born with gifts that are in some ways, unique to us. Look at the people who come to mind when you think of greatness?
Think of great authors, perhaps Wilbur Smith, Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, Shakespeare, F Scott Fitzgerald, J K Rowling, Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe and so on.
Think of great minds, and Einstein comes to mind, along with Leonardo Da Vinci, Marie Curie, Faraday, Bell, Marconi, Isaac Newton, and Edwin Hubble.
Sports people? There are so many; First four-minute mile went to Roger Bannister in 1954 and is a perfect example. He inspired John Landy to become the second to achieve the feat on 21st June 1954, only 6 weeks after Bannister on 6th of May, 1954. Since then, many have achieved the feat, inspired by these achievements. Not only did they prove it was possible, they could probably be credited with the start of sports science, the study of what the human body can possibly achieve.
That led to the development of sciences of the mind, because it was soon realised that attitude was almost as important as physical ability when it came to achievements of physical prowess.
Which brings us back to the starting point!
Self development why bother?
Because it opens new worlds up to us, for a tiny outlay of time and energy, the results and returns can be multiplied many times over.
Knowing how someone achieved something else means you can learn from their efforts, trials and mistakes, and go straight to a winning strategy. Knowing what mental state to be in for a specific task can mean success or failure at that task – why wouldn’t you want to know that? Knowing how to win the love, admiration and lifelong affections of someone you admire, surely that is worth stretching yourself a little to learn? Knowing how to be the best partner, lover, breadwinner, parent or whatever it is you desire in your life, that is why we bother!
Self Development why bother?
Because we have to earn our place at the tables in this world. We have a choice – earn that place at the table or get the crumbs left by those who did!
The great thing about self development is that not many do actually bother, making it easy pickings for the rest of us! So many are content with the crumbs, perhaps because they have never looked up and realised where they fell from. However, you are reading this now, so you know about the seats available at the table, and you also probably know that this could be a first step towards taking one.
There are people who will read this, perhaps in desperation and or frustration, who have some sort of physical or health challenges and who have asked the question: Self Development why bother? and decided it wasn’t worth it. I say to you, no, you don’t need to be a Roger Bannister, but look at what he REALLY did! He proved that more could be had and done, and inspired millions of people to strive for me, and who ultimately went on to create better lives for themselves, and for so many others. Who could you be an inspiration for?
Look at your frustration – we discussed it earlier. Perhaps you still have a gift to discover, that will ease your frustration. No, I can’t and neither can anyone else give you a shortcut to it and tell you what it is or how to do it. That’s up to you – it’s called personal development, your own journey of self discovery. The truth is that the longest journey most of us will ever make is the journey to discover our true potential! If you are wondering whether it is worth it, ask yourself if you have unexplored potential yet to be shown to the world, or even to yourself. Are you sitting on a gift that you don’t yet know about? You can begin or continue your Self Development journey by CLICKING HERE NOW!
Self development why bother?
Because it’s worth it. You owe at least this much to yourself and your family! Welcome aboard!
If you wish to explore Self Development further, it’s easy to make a start. Look at this blog for a way to put a little self development into each day, to create better results as you progress and ultimately bring out the full potential of you!
If you answered YES to the question of Self Development why bother?, the next blog will have the HOW of this subject, some powerful tips on what you can do from where you are, to make a start and start making a difference!
The Entrepreneur’s Credo
I do not choose to be a common man,
It is my right to be uncommon … if I can,
I seek opportunity … not security.
I do not wish to be a kept citizen.
Humbled and dulled by having the
State look after me.
I want to take the calculated risk;
To dream and to build.
To fail and to succeed.
I refuse to barter incentive for a dole;
I prefer the challenges of life
To the guaranteed existence;
The thrill of fulfillment
To the stale calm of Utopia.
I will not trade freedom for beneficence
Nor my dignity for a handout
I will never cower before any master
Nor bend to any threat.
It is my heritage to stand erect.
Proud and unafraid;
To think and act for myself,
To enjoy the benefit of my creations
And to face the world boldly and say:
This, with God’s help, I have done
All this is what it means
To be an Entrepreneur.
― Thomas Paine, Common Sense
If you feel this blog has value to you, maybe it has value to others! Please share and reblog it. Who knows who might find a reason in here to make changes in their life too! After all, that’s what friends are for…!
Til next time, fair winds and full sails!
Ray Jamieson
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[…] You can build self esteem accidentally like I did, and hope that after some time (I took 15 years!) you will realise you are OK too, and you always were. Or you can step into a framework that does it all for you. It’s possible. Check out this blog on why you should systemize personal development, or even here, about why bother with personal development. […]
[…] worked for you, and to take time to plan ahead and get it right! The human evolutionary drive (Entrepreneurs Credo) is such that we are programmed to strive for better – we cannot escape […]
[…] Self development – why bother? […]
[…] You can build self esteem accidentally like I did, and hope that after some time (I took 15 years!) you will realise you are OK too, and you always were. Or you can step into a framework that does it all for you. It’s possible. Check out this blog on why you should systemize personal development, or even here, about why bother with personal development. […]
[…] Self development – why bother? […]
[…] some stages in changing your life from what it is now, to what you’d rather it was like, and the stages start very close to home. Today, you and I are the product of everything we have done in all the years of our lives right […]
[…] often fall into this category, so many struggling and unknown authors. Inventors, free thinkers, entrepreneurs. So many people are affected by this inspirational […]
[…] Self Development why bother? […]