4 Laws of Personal Development

Every one of us walks a path in our lives, towards the things that make us feel alive. We drive ourselves, push ourselves, and work towards our goals. Yet, there are lessons I have learned along the way that I deem of utmost importance. These lessons I have learned, show themselves in various situations in my life, and play a vital role in dealing with matters well.

4 Laws of Personal Development

1. You must have a teachable spirit

The most popular leadership expert in the world as identified by Inc. magazine, John Maxwell, once said in his article titled If You Want to Grow, Cultivate a Teachable Spirit

- "You never stop growing and you never stop learning."

I grew up largely fearing having talent and failing. I always believed and still do, to date, that talented individuals are defeated by those who choose to grow, those who are teachable and understand the value in attaining wisdom from those that have gone before them. I am of the opinion that arrogance is the fastest route to failure because it insinuates no one knows better than you.

When you adopt a teachable spirit, it means you understand that you are not always right. You open yourself up to constructive criticism, allowing you to filter what will work for you and what will not. This is not to say that everyone's opinion is always right, it is to say that you are open to listening to the teaching of others while standing your ground in deciphering what you will take with you in your journey of growth.

It simply means, you listen unguarded, and determine what sticks and stays, and what will be discarded. However, you LISTEN and LEARN.

2. You must have emotional intelligence

Have you ever dealt with someone who lacks emotional intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ)? One who allows their feelings to dictate their response to a given situation, without forward-thinking and analysis?

The most dangerous thing one can do is live a life dictated by ones feelings. The reason being, that our feelings, although sometimes right, they are more often than not influenced by our perceptions of life, past experiences and hurts. This makes it a dangerous place to operate because it is not always a reflection of the true reality of what is happening.

When one grows an EQ, there is a process of learning to set your feelings aside and think clearly. It is practiced and learned. Although some people are lucky enough to have been born with a high EQ, others not. Whichever one you are, it is important to be self-aware and strengthen yourself.

I dare say that EQ is the number one law of self-development, it has made and broken more leaders than one can begin to count - because an emotional leader, is a leader easily swayed.

Your external environment, should not easily control your internal environment. You need to be able to stand firm in your decision making, with a put together head that is not emotionally driven.

3. You must have integrity

In the famous words of my father, and the mantra that has become engrained in our family home, integrity is what you do when no one is watching.

Living in an era of social media, more often than not it is easy to create a narrative that does not exist. We depict a picture of our lives that is inaccurate to appease people we do not know. In addition, lying, gossiping, and slandering others is regarded as a quick "innocent" laugh. Yet, our pubic image portrays a sense of developing others and being interested in imparting wisdom for growth in others. We pretend to be humble, and kind. Yet, the people we live within our homes experience a mean spirited aura, that is anything but kind. In addition, we feel that we can steal company time, which later translates to stealing petty cash money, which can quickly start becoming a matter of fake invoices.

The point is, it is not in the extreme, it is in walking with the utmost integrity. Being honest and living a private life, that is a direct reflection of your public life. It is all in being your true authentic self because where you are willing to compromise integrity today, there is no telling where you will compromise integrity tomorrow.

4. You must cultivate a conducive environment

When they say you are the average of the people you spend the most time, we understand it for what it is. When they say, bird of a feather flock, we equally understand it.

It is no foreign concept that the people who make up your environment, influence your perspective on life, influence your ambitions, and influence your thoughts. Being cognisant of this means actively cultivating an environment that reflects what you want out of life. It goes with getting a mentor, befriending people in your field and ensuring that your group of close friends help you grow and not deter your growth.

You have the ability to ensure your environment is conducive, and you have the ability to change your environment if you find it is not.

These are the four laws I apply actively to my everyday life to ensure self-development.

In the event that you have a few more, feel free to share by commenting below. We grow by sharing and create a community of learning by creating dialogues.

From one Powerhouse to another,

Love

Mavis

Find me on twitter - @mavisbraga1