Self Growth 101 – Life Improves Only When We Improve

“I worry that our lives are like soap operas. We can go for months and not tune in to them, then six months later we look in and the same stuff is still going on.” – Jane Wagner

I outright marvel at the number of times adults (certainly, myself included) behave and/or think like kids. We can be just as selfish, silly, and short-sighted as any 7 year old could ever hope to be. Heck, we could even get her on the field of life and beat her with experience. Years of experience, but we won’t stop to count them. 😉

Selfishness is not an area I struggle with (all credit goes to my mother who, literally, didn’t have a single selfish cell in her entire body), but short-sightedness is one that I wrestle with almost daily. You know the familiar gesture of holding your hand up in front of your face and saying that you have to see beyond that? I’m like, “Beyond what?” – I see no further than the tip of my own nose half the time.  I live in the moment, for the moment.  It may sound like a cool neighborhood to live in, but it can get pretty chaotic.

All of us would do well to examine just how much thought we give our future and our personal growth.

• Do we push ourselves beyond our capabilities each day – ensuring personal growth tomorrow?
• Do we push our horizons back a little every now and then to challenge ourselves to go further?
• Do we challenge our minds daily?
• Do we challenge ourselves physically?
• Do we live in the most dangerous place on earth – The Comfort Zone?

We often wish this aspect of our life was better….  We wish that aspect of our life was better…  It may sound trite and wreak of predictability, but the secret literally lies inside of us.  Our lives will improve when we improve.

1. We need to challenge our minds each day.  We should all read more and stretch ourselves further.  When we expand our minds, we expand our world.
2. We should work harder on our relationships. If we’re guilty of taking anyone in our lives for granted, we should realize that immediately and vow to make that something we’re never guilty of again.  Our relationships are our treasure on earth – something we should never lose sight of.  You can never be too kind, too thoughtful, or too considerate.
3. We should remember the words of Zig Ziglar, “Go as far as you can see and when you get there, you will always be able to see farther.”  Growth leads to more growth, but a failure to grow leads nowhere.
4. We have to be on guard against becoming too comfortable.  I’m all for having a laid back, happy, and relaxing life (I’m actually the spokesperson for that sort of existence.), but we have to keep something in mind.  When you go to the beach on a hot afternoon, in the middle of July, your odds of getting a sunburn go through the roof.  You’re in the perfect place for that sort of thing to happen, right?  When we put ourselves in the comfort zone, we set ourselves up for something that’s just as painful as a sunburn – mediocrity. We are never so fantastic or so awesome that we couldn’t stand to improve.   If you’re one of those rare bird who think they’re simply perfect, imagine how toweringly superb you’d be if you improved even more?!  Mind boggling, right?

The comfort zone is like a dark cave.  You may think you’re perfectly comfortable and content where you are, but if you stick your head out and take a look at everything you’re missing – you’ll curse the darkness. Whether your particular comfort zone involves relationships, your health, your weight, your finances, your spirituality, or your mind – challenge yourself to come out of the cave.  It’s a big, beautiful world out there and it’s ripe with opportunities just waiting for you.  Have at it!

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.” – Ronald E. Osborn

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