There's no shame or weakness in investing in your own development.
Many people believe that seeking out personal development is an action of implied weakness and sees it as a sort of statement that the person seeking it is somehow deficient in something. It’s like some non-verbal statement that “I need help with something, I don’t know what yet, but I feel it in my bones.” that other people see when someone they know decides to learn something that may make their life better.
This post is going to dispel that myth (along with a couple of others) and clear up what it means to be interested in personal development. I’ll explain a couple of personal stories from my life to back up what I’m saying. Names have been changed to protect the innocent and all that jazz.
Pride has a funny way of distorting reality in our perceptions.
What personal development isn’t, is a statement of weakness. It can sometimes be an action of implied humility, and the strength and maturity to know that anything can be improved. Of course, this is not always the case. The fact of the matter is, there is always room for improvement in areas of our lives. Learning something new isn’t weakness, on the contrary, it makes you stronger.
Pride seems to cloud many people’s perspective when it comes to the self-help industry. Sometimes, the detractors have valid points, and certain well-known names have questionable practices. You would be correct to be skeptical of them. However, to label the people who seek out something in the personal development space is unwarranted and most of all, inaccurate.
A friend I was once close with made the statement that went something like, “They’re just confirming what they already know. In most cases, they don’t need anything related to self-help. They just believe they’re deficient.” I was young and didn’t really give any of this stuff all that much thought back then, it was a much more innocent time for me. But somehow that’s something I remember vividly, as even then, I highly disagreed with it. Lots of times, people really don’t know what’s being taught. If they did, they wouldn’t seek it out.
Is it possible some people delve into it just to feel good? Certainly. I would never advise it, and I certainly don’t think it’s very wise, but some people do get into it solely for the feelz. If you feel inspired, let it fuel you. Let it overcome your limiting beliefs. Let it mold your internal value structure into something better. Don’t just let it make you smile for 20 minutes. It should fuel your engine; not make you sputter for an extremely limited time.
Why I took an interest in the Personal Development field
When I took an interest in the personal development space, it was at a time when I truly needed a wakeup call. It was pride that had previously shielded me from absorbing the shit sandwich that life gave me. It wasn’t until the writing couldn’t be missed on the wall, was when I realized things needed to change. In times like this, seeking out the right kind of help (which I will go into the near future, stay tuned) is one of the bravest and responsible things a person can do. It’s a part of owning their crap. It states that a change is needed, and the person will do what it takes.
Reading a book, listening to a podcast, and hearing an audiobook is easy. To put something learned into practice often takes real effort.
Just a final thought on this post. I get the sensation that I barely scratched the surface, but I’ll end with this. The people who tend to look down on the community are usually the people who need it the most. My friend did. I’ve had a loved one think that anyone who was publicly successful was covering up some shade activities that made them that way.
Pride can be a heavy burden. Let’s cast it aside. Not saying this to cast judgement, or even react to anything in particular. However, it should be addressed.