If we observe the personal development industry and what self-improvement teaches us as a philosophy, it is easy to assume that the bigger part of it is self-centered. However, the core of personal development, or the idea that has been much altered and modified throughout the years suggests otherwise.
Personal development is, in a nutshell, a philosophy of living where you improve yourself in all the possible aspects you can as to be able to function and perform in relation to others, society, the “rules of the game”.
Making self-improvement too self-centered overlooks one key feature- improving yourself so you can adapt to everything else. You see, isolating from whatever it is that surrounds you can be easily as bad as it can actually help. In order to fix this self-improvement side effect there is a Jim Rohn philosophy that many people forget to take a look at.
This philosophy is likely to help you achieve everything you hope to achieve, while at the same time connecting you with other people around you. And the best thing is that it is summarized in one single quote.
“Help as many people as you can to get what they want, and you will have everything you what.”
How simple yet how deep and complex.
Jim adopted this concept from Zig Ziglar — a fellow personal development giant, who had the same mentor that Jim had — Earl Shoaff. He recalls listening to Zig almost fifty years ago being fascinated by this single quote. Once adopted as his own, he developed a whole philosophy around it.
Here is why this quote can change your life.
By focusing on others and helping them with their problems, ambitions, goals, we become increasingly aware of our own worthiness and capabilities. By helping others we have the opportunity to develop more experience in different and diverse segments in life, and we even become more self-actualized.
The second layer of this philosophy is equally simple. By helping other people we create a network of connections, all of whom having great things to say about us.
And you never know how a recommendation from some, or an extended arm in the time of need from others, can change a crucial aspect of your life. By interacting with as many people as you can to help them get where they want to be in life, you non-intrusively share parts of your story as well.
For example, if you are a graphic designer and tend to network by helping people, many of them will want to know what it is that you do and help you as well. And once they are familiar with your story, your goals, you never know where this information might end up and how big of a domino effect this might initiate.
The old stigma that good guys finish last is not working any more. It turns out that the more you make yourself useful to others the more appreciated and rewarded you become. And what strikes me the most are the words that Zig and Jim used — help as many people as you can to get what they want, and you will have everything you want.
This only implies that this concept is very scalable and can easily improve many aspects of your life.
______________
Slavko Desik is personal development enthusiast who tries to understand the most effective way in which one can improve himself. He advocates his personal development philosophy upon the concept of Lifestyle Design.
Featured:
If you’ve got a dream inside you — get your copy of the Why Perfect Timing is a Myth program. It is designed to take you from “need to do” to got it done!” — Click here to learn more.