Get Started with Personal Development

The First Three Capacities You Need for Personal Development

Sara’s niece, Sara Weir, just came to visit. Among other things, she’s a fantastic photographer. (Her Instagram account is beautiful). We had some great conversations about personal development and the challenges we encounter in our relationships, particularly family relationships. The whole family-thing can really up the ante, can’t it?

“If you think you are enlightened, go spend a week with your family.” Ram Dass

It was beautiful to watch aunt and niece connect. Sara Owens Woodard frequently strives to embody that über rare blend of caring personally while challenging directly. And so it was in some of the conversations I was privileged to join.

Sara Weir consistently did something in these conversations that is so rare. She worked with the challenges the other Sara (for whom she is named) presented even while another part of her was resisting. So often we summarily reject what we most need to hear. And this wasn’t happening.

Three Benefits of Personal Development

Get Started with Personal Development, Personal Development

I’m writing a course on a pathway for personal development, and I’m struggling. I’ve learned a lot over the years and I like to share a lot. That overcomplicates things. And people are very busy and don’t want complicated. There are a handful of people who want to know all the in’s and out’s, but most folks are looking for the most efficient way to move from where they are to where they want to be. I get that. But I still struggle with it.

And gosh, where do you even start with a course on personal development? As I’ve noodled on this in the early mornings this past week, it dawned on me that perhaps the place to start is by sharing the three key benefits of personal development. There are lots of benefits, some that people cannot begin to imagine when they start with personal development. However, it isn’t even useful to attempt to describe what people cannot understand, even though I’m tempted to try.

I can winnow the benefits of personal development down to three things I think everyone can understand. These three things aren’t complicated: [Read more…] about Three Benefits of Personal Development

Sensing Your Purpose

Get Started with Personal Development, Personal Development Compass, Purpose

Some people come into this world knowing what they are here to do. My father and father-in-law were those types of people. My father fashioned himself a first aid kit and took it to the playground in elementary school and attended to the scrapes, bumps, and bruises. He became a doctor. My father-in-law memorized the voting records of U.S. congressman when other kids his age were memorizing batting averages of major league baseball players. He became a U.S. congressman and worked for Middle East peace.

I’m not one of those people. When it comes to sensing my purpose in life, it has been a bit chaotic, to say the least. Boatbuilder. Aspiring architect. Photographer. Accountant. Management consultant. Business executive. Coach. Leadership and personal development teacher, consultant, and online entrepreneur. Get the picture?

How about you? Are you clear on your purpose? If not, do you want to be? Know how to? This is what we will explore…

[Read more…] about Sensing Your Purpose

Eight Things I Think You Should Know

Get Started with Personal Development, Personal Development, Personal Development Compass

Part of my mission is to make personal development available to anyone who wants it, anywhere, regardless of financial means. I have been blessed with incredible mentors, training, and most importantly, experience. It’s time to share it.

It is dawning on me what is really needed to get started right with personal development. I’ve been noodling on this because in the company I consult with, in four years we have ramped up to include 200 of their 6,000 employees. It’s been remarkable, but it isn’t exactly scalable or inclusive.

“What would it take to fix this?” I’ve wondered. And I’m now glimpsing a way forward. We are about to do some tests to vet this idea. It is an incredibly exciting time and a highly motivating endeavor. Namely…

Empower people to work together to support one another in personal development.

Where would this start?

I think everyone — including you — who wants real results from personal development needs to know eight things. This article explores these eight things. See how many you are clear on…