Life

Here’s Why Personal Development Should Be the Ultimate Inspiration in Your Life

Published

5 years ago

Apr 24, 2020

Nouman Ali Awan

Image Credit: Unsplash

If you’d like to learn more about personal development so you can have the confidence to achieve the goals you set for yourself, sign up for the free 90-Day Master Class hosted by the founder of Addicted2Success.com, Joel Brown.

A lot of us live a major portion of our lives running the rat race, where all we’re doing is fiercely and blindly competing with our peers and associates. While having a sense of competition allows you to push your limits, having an understanding of what a healthy competition means is also important. Additionally, it’s also important to know who it is you really need to compete with.

Ernest Hemingway once said, “There’s nothing noble in competing with your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” This really puts things into perspective. Coming out of a debilitating life situation a couple of years back, I was left questioning my identity. With all those years that seemed wasted, stuck in a deadlock situation doing nothing seemingly productive, the feelings of being “left behind” and having lost control over my life started to take over. This is where I learned the power of self-improvement.

You see, self-improvement enables you to admit and embrace your shortcomings rather than being ignorant and sweeping them under the carpet. It also allows you to realize that you’re actually not made to compete with others but to compete with your own self – be a better version of yourself than who you were the day before. This is what inspires you to work on yourself – to face the demons that reside within you and fix them to change your tomorrow for the better.

This article will help you internalize why personal development should be your priority and ultimate inspiration in life.

1. You get to explore and figure out your life purpose

The truth is that when you’re living a directionless life, you’ll keep wavering from one direction to another and never be satisfied. As humans, we’re always looking for ideas and inspiration to improve our personal and professional lives. However, this can only happen if you know yourself first.

Being on a “journey” of self-development allows you to see what your beliefs and values are, what you’re passionate about, and what you want out of your life. I call personal development a journey because it takes years and years to discover your inner strengths and capabilities.

While being inspired by others is okay, it’s equally important for you to find your inspiration within yourself. This will enable you to navigate through your existential crisis effectively and bring true meaning to your life.

“Personal development is a major time-saver. The better you become, the less time it takes you to achieve your goals.” – Brian Tracy

2. You will have the motivation to take control of your life

Once you become more self-aware regarding your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll have more control over your life. The cliché that every individual is gifted with something unique is, in fact, true, if we make the effort to know what our special gift is. For me, knowing myself more gave me the motivation that I was trying to find in others.

When you know what you’re capable of doing that will change the world to be a better place, it will give you a sense of direction to achieve your goals. Many times, people want to do so much but don’t know where to start.

Self-awareness will give you that starting point based on your passion. For example, if you’re an empathetic individual and are concerned about the mental and emotional well-being of others, perhaps studying therapy or counseling is your calling.

3. You’ll find contentment

It won’t be incorrect to say that we’re all looking for satisfaction in one way or the other. Know that when you understand yourself better and work on developing yourself, you’ll embrace your weaknesses with courage and own your strengths too. You won’t keep beating yourself up for your mistakes. Being on the journey of self-development and analyzing your progress will give you the happiness of being better than yesterday.

Also, observing how far you’ve come and how you impacted the lives of those around you by improving yourself will give you contentment like nothing else. Whether the change you bring is big or small, witnessed by others or just by your own self, it will be something cherishable for you as it adds value in some way.

4. You’ll become more resilient

Experience shows that it’s not what happens to you that shows your true self, but how you respond to it. When you’re on the journey of self-improvement, your life will not automatically turn in your favor – the obstacles and unfavorable things will keep happening. However, being conscious of the fact that you’re trying to achieve a personal goal will make it easier for you to accept your circumstances and face them in a dignified way. It will build your resilience towards life’s curveballs – you’ll become a person who is emotionally more stable – and the resilience you build will be a key to a successful life.

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

5. Your relationships will thrive

Relationships are an important aspect of every person’s life. We cannot survive in this world without our sanity in place, and good relationships play a significant role in taking care of this.

Personal development allows you to look inward and work on yourself first, instead of pointing fingers. If you have an anger problem and you’re also trying to fix it, you will become calmer, more patient, and forbearing with time. This change will show in your personality and will improve your day-to-day communications. As a result, your relationships will thrive.

6. You’ll have a positive self-image

Self-improvement will enable you to be more confident and build your self-esteem. Focusing on yourself takes you out of the vicious cycle of thinking less of yourself and despairing over what others have achieved. It allows you to feel good in a realistic way by improving your personality. It makes you love yourself for who you’ve become and pushes you to reach your highest potential.

Embark on the journey of personal development so you can live an enjoyable and purposeful life by continuously raising the bar for yourself. By doing this, you’ll live a worry-free, yet visionary life where you’ll be your own inspiration.

How do you stay up with your own personal development? Share your thoughts with us below!

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Nouman Ali Awan

Nouman provides ghostwriting and copywriting services. His educational background in the technical field and business studies helps him in tackling topics ranging from career and business productivity to web development and digital marketing. He occasionally writes articles for prayer times.

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Life

How Learning the Skill of Hope Can Change Everything

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life

Published

2 weeks ago

Jan 6, 2025

Daniel Bell

Image Credit: Midjourney

Hope isn’t wishful thinking. It’s a state of being and a skill that has profound evidence of helping people achieve success in life.

Wishful thinking, on the other hand, is like having dreams in the sky without a ladder to climb, having a destination without a map, or trying to operate a jet-engine airplane without instructions. It sounds nice but is impossible to realize. You don’t have what you need to make it happen!

What Real Hope Is

Real hope is actionable, practical, and realistic. Better yet, it’s feasible and can be learned.

One popular approach is Hope Theory. This concept is used by colleges to study how hope impacts students’ academic performance. Researchers found that students with high levels of hope achieve better grades and are more likely to graduate compared to those with less hope.

Hope can be broken down into two components:

Pathways – The “how to” of hope. This is where people think of and establish plans for achieving their goals.
Agency – The “I can” of hope. This is the belief that the person can accomplish their goals.

Does Hope Really Work?

According to Webster’s Dictionary, hope as a noun is defined as: “desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.”

As humans, we are wired to crave fulfillment. We have the ability to envision it and, through hope, make it a reality.

My Experience with Hope

For 13 years, I was a hopeless human. During my time working at a luxury hotel as a front desk agent earning $11.42 per hour, I felt the sting of hopelessness the most.

The regret of feeling my time was being stolen from me lingered every time I clocked in. Eventually, I decided to do something about it.

I gave myself permission to hope for something better. I began establishing pathways to success and regained agency by learning from self-help books and seeking mentorship.

Because I took action toward something I desired, I now feel more hope and joy than I ever felt hopelessness. Hope changed me.

Hope Actually Improves Your Life

Wishful thinking doesn’t work, and false hope is equally ineffective. Real hope, however, is directly tied to success in all areas of life.

Studies show that hopeful people tend to:

Demonstrate better problem-solving skills
Cultivate healthier relationships
Maintain stronger motivation to achieve goals
Exhibit better work ethic
Have a positive outlook on life

These benefits can impact work life, family life, habit-building, mental health, physical health, and spiritual practice. Imagine how much better your life could be by applying real hope to all these areas.

How to Develop the Skill to Hope

As acclaimed French writer Jean Giono wrote in The Man Who Planted Trees:
“There are also times in life when a person has to rush off in pursuit of hopefulness.”

If you are at one of those times, here are ways to develop the skill to hope:

1. Dream Again

To cultivate hope, you need to believe in its possibility. Start by:

Reflecting on what you’re passionate about, your values, and what you want to achieve.
Writing your dreams down, sharing them with someone encouraging, or saying them out loud.
Creating a vision board to make your dreams feel more tangible.

Dreams are the foundation of hope—they give you something meaningful to aspire toward.

2. Create an Environment of Hope

Set Goals: Write down your goals and create a plan to achieve them.
Visualize Success: Use inspirational quotes, photos, or tools like dumbbells or canvases to remind yourself of your goals.
Build a Resource Library: Collect books, eBooks, or audiobooks about hope and success to inspire you.

An environment that fosters hope will keep you motivated, resilient, and focused.

3. Face the Challenges

Don’t avoid challenges—overcoming them builds confidence. Participating in challenging activities, like strategic games, can enhance your problem-solving skills and reinforce hope.

4. Commit to Wisdom

Seek wisdom from those who have achieved what you aspire to. Whether through books, blogs, or social media platforms, learn from their journeys. Wisdom provides the foundation for real, actionable hope.

5. Take Note of Small Wins

Reflecting on past victories can fuel your hope for the future. Ask yourself:

What challenges have I already overcome?
How did I feel when I succeeded?

By remembering those feelings of happiness, relief, or satisfaction, your brain will naturally adopt a more hopeful mindset.

Conclusion

Hope is more than wishful thinking—it’s a powerful skill that can transform your life. By dreaming again, creating a hopeful environment, facing challenges, seeking wisdom, and celebrating small wins, you can develop the real hope necessary for success in all aspects of life.

Let hope guide you toward a brighter, more fulfilling future.

Life

The 5 Stages of a Quarter-Life Crisis & What You Can Do

A quarter-life crisis isn’t a sign you’ve lost your way; it’s a sign you’re fighting for a life that’s truly yours.

Published

4 weeks ago

Dec 27, 2024

CT Dool

Image Credit: Midjourney

The quarter-life crisis is a well-defined set of stages—Trapped, Checking Out, Separation, Exploration, Rebuilding—one goes through in breaking free from feelings of meaninglessness, lack of fulfillment, and misalignment with purpose. I detail the stages and interweave my story below. (more…)

Life

Here’s The Thing About Learning, Unlearning, and Relearning

Stop hoarding and start sharing your knowledge and wealth for the benefit of humankind

Published

2 months ago

Nov 21, 2024

M.S. Rao

Image Credit: Midjourney

Few people have the habit of hoarding their wealth without spending. However, it limits their motivation as they tend to get into their comfort zones. When people start spending money, then there will be depletion in their coffers. (more…)