What is Personal Development?

When many people think of personal development, their minds immediately go to "Positive Thinking". They think of Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, and empty optimism.

While thinking positively, knowing that we can accomplish more than we currently achieve, can be an important tool of personal development, it goes much farther.

We all have the freedom to dream big dreams—but when we change our thinking beyond dreaming, and move to taking control of our dreams, planning the accomplishment of them, and changing ourselves in necessary areas to move ourselves toward our dreams, then we are developing personally.

Say you dream of becoming debt free. Will dreaming it make it happen? Of course not, you must realize that there are reasons you have debt. You must firmly decide to do what it takes to reduce and ultimately eliminate your debt. You must make a plan. This plan must include reducing spending and/or increasing income. You may need to find help, get some training or counseling.

By changing ourselves, we can change things in our lives. By taking responsibility for our current situation, we find out that we can really make our situation change.

Where does optimism come in?
Pessimists look at their situation and feel helpless. Either they feel that they aren't responsible for the situation, or that they have no power to change themselves. They look at an issue as something that always happens—something pervasive. Pessimists look at their past failures as proof that they will fail again. Because of this way of thinking, pessimists see no way out of their problem so they do nothing to improve.

Optimists take responsibility, own the problem, and take active steps to change. They know they can overcome. They don't feel that they themselves are the problem, but they feel responsible to find the solution.

Speaking personally, I was able to shed thirty pounds when I stopped thinking of myself as a fat person and started thinking of myself as an ordinary person who needed to lose pounds.

Personal development involves learning, growing, setting goals, planning, and making wise use of resources such as time and money. It involves self-mastery.

The purpose of this ezine, Ordinary People Can Win!, is to help you learn to how to develop yourself. Through what you learn in the coming weeks, you will be able to make the necessary changes to improve:
• relationships
• earnings
• physical fitness
• financial status
• contentment and
• happiness

Your talents, self-esteem, and potential will rise.

You have the power to achieve your dreams. But they usually don't fall into your lap—they require honest effort and proactivity.

High achievers are not necessarily extraordinary people; they are usually ordinary people who take proactive, consistent action.

Related Quotes:
"Hoping and dreaming of a better world are not enough if we are unwilling to work; but when we work towards our dreams, wonderful things can happen." Lloyd Newell

"Personal development is your springboard to personal excellence. Ongoing, continuous, non-stop personal development literally assures you that there is no limit to what you can accomplish." Brian Tracy

Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set. This is true of earthly as of heavenly things. Even the man whose object is to acquire wealth must be prepared to make great personal sacrifices before he can accomplish his object; and how much more so he who would realize a strong and well-poised life." James Allen

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments." Jim Rohn

"Develop the winning edge; small differences in your performance can lead to large differences in your results." Brian Tracy

"If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self." Napoleon Hill