Personal Development Home

Perhaps it’s best to start by asking why the term “Personal Development”, never mind a multi-billion dollar industry, should have come about in the first place. My belief is that it is born out of a sense of dissatisfaction with life that many, many people experience.

The Western model of how to live has for decades, if not centuries or millennia been one of struggle and hardship: how to make ends meet, how to fall in love or bring up the kids or hold down a job. Promises offered by organised religions have withered, by and large, on the vine, and people have become disillusioned with that avenue of hope.

Many turned to therapy, and many therapies sprang up to meet a burgeoning demand. Some delivered, some were modern-day quackery, but all bought into the market created by varying degrees of human misery.

On the surface, we should have nothing to complain about. Compared even to the great Pharaohs of Egypt, the poorest among us lives better. We have better food, more choices than anyone ever in all of history. Yet we are not, on the whole, happy. Soaring divorce rates, kids on drugs and violent crime testify to a seam of unhappiness and malcontent that permeates our culture.

As a species, however, we are both remarkable and remarkably complex. A notable number of us have said, “THIS WON’T DO!” And we set about not only looking for change, but determined to make change happen, not just individually but to the world at large. I believe that all of the above combined to bring personal development into being.

What can Personal Development do for you?

I have personally read literally hundreds of PD books, listened to days of PD tapes, attended many courses, including Anthony Robbins’ Mastery University, (one of the toughest and most powerful PD courses on earth – taking more than 18 months to complete), and now run my own workshops and private practice.

The first thing I say to anyone who approaches me for help of any kind is, “How will you know when you’ve done it?” Growth, thank God, never ends, but if you never allow yourself to feel that you are a finished product, worthy of being noticed and respected by your fellow human companions, then you will always consider yourself “less than” someone else, even if that is only your coach, mentor or guide. Realise there will always be people who are more talented than you - faster, bigger or whatever. And you are faster and bigger than others. No one is better or worse, we are all just different and that’s what makes the world go round. If you can’t answer the question for yourself, then by all means go to some kind of PD, but get the course leader or coach to help you answer that question on your very first encounter. You don’t want a coach or trainer whose own goal is to extract as much money from you as possible! (Happily I have to say this is rare in this field – most PD experts and trainers I know have superb integrity, but there are rotten apples in every barrel, so beware!).

So have a personal outcome in mind, (something that will make a measurable difference preferably), and go for it. Remember too, that in your development you may be led down all kinds of tracks, - for instance in my own “travels” I have been attracted to, and done some work on, spiritual issues, metaphysics and even dabbled in shamanism. If you’re side-tracked that’s fine. Just check in with yourself from time to time and ask yourself, “Is this taking me where I want to go?” Bear in mind, your desired “destination” may also change as you progress through life – there can’t be any hard and fast rules.

Bottom line? Personal Development can bring you to that ultimate place we all want to be – a state of inner peace. It will not remove your troubles, but it can dramatically increase your choice of responses when life throws curved balls at you. People often ask me if it will make them a better person. If being a calmer, more centred person who feels connected to themselves, their fellow humans and environment is “better”, yes, it can. Some people even feel more connected to God. It can be a wonderful journey, but it is not necessarily a pain-free one. The rewards, however, are often spectacular.

It can turn you from chrysalis to butterfly.

I wish you well on your journey, and perhaps we shall meet one day.

(Many thanks to Trevor Emdon who has contributed this introduction to Personal Development)

Please click on View Entries to see the list of Personal Development practitioners.