Sometimes in our lives we come to a season when we believe or feel that something more is needed. When I coach clients on this, they usually have a hard time putting what they feel into words, and they stumble around with their thoughts. Let me ask you: when was the last time you actually “grew yourself”?
Perhaps you are a newly wed and you never had any type of instruction on laundry, preparing a complete meal, decorating a home, planting a garden of flowers, home maintenance, working with multiple people and calendars, planning a vacation for four, saving money for holiday entertaining and so on. Where would you go to get this information? I know the two obvious answers: text a friend or put the topic in the Google search bar.
But, I’m talking about something more enriching that the quick fix. I’m talking about really learning something and storing it in your memory to pass on to your own children and to get a set of personal bearings in your life from which you can draw on.
Were you ever taught by a parent, or other role model or influencer in your life that bettering yourself through knowledge was essential to keeping a healthy active alert mind? Who was that person? What advice have you actually heeded?
You know we all get those community magazines about what our local community is teaching. I know that when I was a young bride and mother, I was always looking in these items to find things that I might like to learn or that my children expressed an interest in.
Let me give you an example that really taught me something that I still use today. When my husband began to climb the corporate ladder he often liked to have dinner parties for those in his direct report circle to create new relationships and to bond with those he worked with. The entertaining part was my forte and I loved being a hostess. So one day one of these events was on the family calendar and I wanted to do something different and to challenge myself and to expand my own expertise as a hostess. I looked into one of our community newspapers and found a class on how to make these elegant flowers from vegetables. The price was reasonable and included the unique tools for the job. I loved it. I was amazed at the tools and what they could do and how I could create a visual presentation that had my husband and guests all talking. I still use those skills today and believe it or not I still have those same tools some 30 years later.
Now this is just a very small example, and you probably have something that is weighing on you and you have no idea how to solve the problem. It’s time for some personal growth.
You know, no one knows everything. So what do you believe about “Personal Growth Opportunities”?
Who did you learn that from?
How will you use what you learn to enhance your life, your family’s life and those whom you come in to contact with?
