Are we over the Top?
Sixty years ago industries such as Personal Development, Personal Growth and Self Help were almost non existent. Now we are told that none of us know who we really are because we have been moulded by our parents, aunts and uncles and school teachers into what they want. We are told that we are what we think. So we don't know how to think. Growth/mental stimulation is critical, otherwise we will die. We have to set goals. Success is important. Plan, plus many more of life's aspects that we don't do properly.
It is wonderful that these opportunities are available to us and we have a better understanding of how we can make things work and achieve. But are we being hammered so much we are in danger of becoming well "oiled" robots. Evidence points to increased unemployment in years to come because robots will be "humanized". Does that mean all the same?
I am currently reading a book called Legacy, What the All Blacks can teach us about the business of Life, by James Kerr which is the story of the success of the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team. It is the most successful team in the world with an 86% winning statistic. Why. Because I have watched them play on several occasions and they are good.
The book takes life to another level of learning and growth. They work at training harder than they play so they are ready for everything. They work hard with their mind and their own self-belief. They have taken inspiration from Muhammad Ali, Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman, Arnold Schwarzenegger and basketball coach Bobby Knight. They use affirmations that lie to the mind that enable them to believe what they need to do to win. They train and play to win always and they see no reason why this philosophy cannot be part of life.
They reason I give a brief background is to ask the question.
Are we now over the top with the expectation of continual improvement? Is life always a competition? There is no right answer and we are all different. Thank you for your thoughts.
Stephen.
Recent Comments
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As Greg says, if you are of a generation that believed and practices continuous improvement it became and is a way of life!!
Really concerned for the young in the way things are stacking up for them but every generation has to fight its battles...Doing so with improved self knowledge can only be an advantage so don't think its over the top at all!!
R.
The young want to improve. They just have been taught that they have no power to do it themselves. The mindset is now on getting what we want, but doing it by getting someone else to supply it for us instead of doing for ourselves. I believe the goal of true personal development is regaining the awareness of our own personal power to elicit change and then engaging it, and doing the work necessary to reach the goal.
Continuous improvement is something I strive for each and every day. So, in my opinion, it's not over the top.
Greg
As I said in my reply: We cannot avoid engaging in personal development. Our development is occurring constantly, whether we engage or not. The important thing is to actively engage in it and take some control of where it goes. Congratulations on being proactive and engaging!
I would say we are not. For the last fifteen years, I have worked as a psychotherapist with people who consistently present for services because their lives are unmanageable. Our societal attitudes have made them believe they are "sick". In reality, while they may present symptoms of anxiety or depression, I have discovered the reason for the symptoms in the vast majority of cases is that they are unhappy and dissatisfied with life but don't have the skills necessary to make the changes needed to make their lives what they want them to be. In the early days of our great country, the founding fathers were very focused on self-actualization and personal development in order to create the kinds of freedoms they wanted and needed. The very reason most Europeans came to the new world was to escape the controls and lack of freedom they experienced in their home lands. They came here and had to learn new ways to live and were able to develop lives and a society that celebrated their desire for personal development. If you look at American history over the past 100 years and see the trends in the desire of people to have an "easier" life, you will see we have implemented social programs that have robbed us of those skills our forefathers gained. People now are focused on what they can do to get the government or "the rich" to take responsibility for supplying the things they want and need. They have lost the ability to self-determine and self-actualize. They despair and decide they are sick, presenting for even more help. A side issue of receiving that help is that they continue to lose the freedom of self-determination because they turn the responsibility over to others to get their needs met. It turns into a vicious circle, and the only way out is for each person to regain that individual accountability and responsibility they will gain through the process of self-actualization. The process of personal development is not something we "choose" to do. Every person is involved in their personal development every minute of their lives. It is sad to me that so few want to be actively involved, and I have made it my life's work to try to motivate and help people regain the power to take control of the process. My company, Growth Unlimited, has taken on that mission. The tag line for our organization is "It's Your Life--Have it Your Way!" We work very hard to promote that idea.
I will be writing and posting more blogs on related subjects as time goes on. I hope you will read them and comment on them. Thank you for giving me the chance to share.
For the last 3 years of my life, I have been a member of this platform. When I first arrived I was full of self-doubts, lacked almost any useful skills aside from typing, and I was afraid to be seen, heard, or even known.
Since that initial stage, I arrived here at... I have been learning and writing about personal development. My website which you can check out is on my profile...
On it, I have written about nearly everything I have been learning but what is more exciting is that I have also written over 600+ additional posts that aren't published yet.
I wrote a book, added a workbook section to it, and continue to add more organization and information to the system that I am building.
It is my hope that when it's put in front of others as a finished product... That it will forever alter my life and anyone who is willing enough to build a relationship with me.
Basically, it's all about how to solve problems and face challenges by learning how to transform anxiety into enthusiasm.
Also, I do mention how I overcome an addiction to alcohol and other drugs...
I came from abuse and alcoholic parents... And that everyone needs to rewrite their life story so that they can become the hero in their own eyes so that they love and trust themselves..
Which of course begins the transformation to believing in yourself as the most important part of the belief system.
Traveling your own journey is the very best way to become an expert! I applaud you for your determination and the accomplishments you've achieved! You are a model of the kind of person I want to help. You will go far!
Hi There. Thank you very much for your genuine comment about something that you are very passionate about. I look forward to your blogs.
Stephen.
Hi Thank you also for your honesty. It takes courage and strength to be open about changes and why they were needed.
Take care
Stephen
You have hit the issue PERFECTLY. I not only fear for those people that are in this vicious circle but also the impact that it will have on the rest of the population not to mention future generations.
~Debbi
That is what we are experiencing today in our country. The attitudes that have been created are now causing difficulties for not only those who don't believe they have the power to elicit change, but also for the rest of us who are not actively involved in the process of changing the belief system that created the problem. We have been complacent for far too long. Now we reap the rewards of not being involved.
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Hi Stephen, it is interesting that you mentioned the All Blacks, their biggest competition is not the other team, it is with themselves and within the team.
That mindset has developed into a culture.
Just like here in WA we have a culture that continues to evolve as people come and stake their claim.
The mindest and skill set in many domains seem to be centered on continuous improvement.
That kind of misses the point, culture becomes a way of living, a way of life.
Alex, thank you for your input. Thee All Blacks are certainly people as well as a team that have taken preparation to another level. Graham Henry believes in your comment. They have developed their own culture.
Stephen.