10 Ways to Grow and Develop Right Now

Time, and with it your life, is speeding by. You will read that message again and again on this blog because a sense of urgency is what is most needed when you want to grow and succeed.

1. If an idea offends you, explore it. Try to find the truth inside it that may not be visible to you through your own beliefs and biases.
2. If your first impression of an individual is negative, put it aside for now. You may end up being the closest of friends with the most unlikely of people.
3. If there is something you don’t like to do, do a little bit of it every day. Doing things you don’t like to do enough times lessens their power over you. It increases your personal power.
4. If you want to do something new, do it without hesitation. Waiting until you are older, until you have more, or until you are ready is a poor life strategy. Don’t try to save life for later.
5. If someone has harmed you, forgive them. Letting go of negative feelings is a gift you give yourself. A second chance is a gift you give someone else. It’s also a gift you will hope to receive.
6. If you’ve never gone to a foreign country with a language you don’t speak, make that your next destination. You will earn much about another culture, and even more about yourself.
7. If you don’t want to do something because you will be embarrassed, do that thing. It’s worth looking inept to try something new, to learn something, and to learn to laugh at yourself.
8. If you are not sure what to do next, go sit quietly alone in the woods with a pen and paper. You will hear answers that are very different than you will hear somewhere else. Or from anyone else. That voice you hear may be your future self.
9. If you need help, ask for that help until someone provides it. Then return that kindness to someone when you are able, and before they have to ask.
10. If you are grateful for the people who have helped you, call them and tell them “thank you” for all they’ve done for you. They will be grateful that you allowed them to make a difference in your life, and that you acknowledged them for having done so.