What made you get started on PD?

[ReallyGoodIdeas]

Something got us started. Something good or bad, but something prompted us to look at ourselves. What was it for you?

Ok me first:

My marriage broke up. I snapped and just couldn't look at my husband any more. I couldn't explain it, but I couldn't look at him. Within 1 month he'd moved out. Once I got over the shock, I set out to understand why that happened. I did 18 months of counselling so understood what had happened on the surface (oh yes - just the surface). My subconscious had finally rebelled after years of taking subtle neglect, and said, "no more". I read books after that, about finding happiness, and your inner power, but couldn't understand them properly until I learnt EFT, and managed to dig deep enough to understand why I really ticked. Through the relationships and the things I've learnt since then, I have so much more understanding of myself now. And I'm eager to learn more and more all the time. One day I think I may get there!

So, what got you started?

[SamBeaven]

Interest in mac tips -> 43folders and an interest in personal effectiveness -> GTD -> Steve (somehow, not sure). Around this time my brother (who has been into PD for a long time) got ahold of What The Bleep, and then later, The Secret. Haven't looked back since.

I think I've always had a vague interest in PD, but I've never been up for dropping much money on it without knowing what I'm getting. Which is why Steve's site was such a godsend for me.

[Michael Chui]

I was told I didn't have any motivations. Thus, I blame the last six or seven years of my life on one person. Essentially, I was thus galvanized into a sprint of self-understanding and actively seeking out things in the world, and personal development was a necessary component of that.

[Shiminey]

My PD is an investment.

[stephencp]

I've always been a learner and gradually I realized that the most useful thing to study was how people (including me) get better and realize (i.e. recognize and make real) thier potential(s).

Stephen
Power-Book Library: Free personal development, success, inspiration and motivational classics
Personality and Growth Bookshelf
Snappy Shop - Download what you need right now, instant shopping

[Lucas]

I sorta was going on autopilot from 2000-2006, didnt know what to do, I went to college to escape hellish family life, but didnt know what to do...wandered around majors for a while, coming to realize that college was more traditional than I was led to believe. About that time I went on academic probation, as well as got fired from my crappy job, being unemployed for a year...over this summer I was trying to figure some things out, and I stumbled upon the Early Riser article...which brought me to the 30 days article. I decided to try it out on my horrible Coke habit (lol, soda not drugs, but still pretty addicted) and was able to stop drinking pop, I have a better diet, lost some weight, feel a lot more conscious, learned to photoread, have read probably 20 PD books in the last 6+ months, got a lot of audiobooks, my energy level is much higher and I feel good, even when bad things happen.

Not a bad start, and I feel like I havent even started yet.

[Erki]

I never knew anything about PD until I found SP's blog on Friday, 13th January 2006. So I guess it was a pretty lucky Friday 13th for me.

[Akashic_Librarian]

I saw in myself a potential for greatness but I had no means to find it. Then I found steve.

[Reyv]

The usual, I guess.

a) I wanted to create an amazing life for myself,
b) I wanted to know and do everything,
c) I wanted to work on making this world a better place,
d) I wanted to become a billionaire.

I had this picture in my head of what my life should be like, and I had an inner knowing that I could do anything I wanted, despite my very dissapointing and unfavourable external reality.

Personal development was the obvious first step to get myself from theory to action. Oh, how I've grown since that time. Big hug!

[someone]

I was googling about stopping procrastination while procrastinating on an English essay about Sep or Oct 2005 and found some of his incredibly insightful articles on dexterity.com. Found a link to his blog and started reading all of his articles (several times over).

[RT Wolf]

For me, personal development has been with Steve. He introduced me to this world, to a new way of living.

I had been reading the site on and off for a few months before I had a major setback and I was lost. I turned to PD to help me find my way. Better than drugs or booze, no?

Now I continue PD because it just seems right to me. Living a life without aims just doesn't make sense to me. And growing is so much fun I dunno why I would stop.

[dECLAN]

Great question Hazel!

Since being a kid I was always into psychic abilities, ESP, telepathy and the occult. I grew up reading Colin Wilson, Gurdjieff, Edgar Cayce and others in the field.

In around 1992 I started working in a bookstore in Dublin and it soon became clear to the managers that my knowledge of the occult and psychic development was quite extensive. As a result I became the book buyer for the Mind, Body Spirit department which expanded and became the place to hang out and meet fellow travelers.

This exposed me to a whole range of authors and books within the personal development field. I became well read on the classics not only so that I could offer an educated opinion to book buyers but because it was having a such a positive effect in my own life and helping me grow as a person.

When I look back now I can see how certain synchronistic events and meetings with certain individuals and books have all led me to this point in space/time.

[Tabs]

An old boss of mine suggested that we get a copy of Brian Tracy's Maximum Achievement. I ran to the bookstore because the company was paying for it. I did not care about my boss or the book I just wanted to go shopping. I started reading the book because I wanted to say I had a clue what it was about when "they" asked me, I was hooked from the intro. That book was the best thing I ever brought spending company money. It started me on my PD path.

Cheers,

[Flame]

My first systematic foray into PD happened over Thanksgiving 2006. I stumbled onto the Early Riser article, which led to my reading all of Steve's articles. I've started adding other resources.

Prior to last month, I thought that the "self-help" or "personal development" industry was all about so-called "pundits" selling platitudes to people who were desperate to get help. But the quality information on this site, including the insights on this forum, have been eye-opening and inspiring to me. So, thanks everyone!

[ReallyGoodIdeas]

Wow! This is great! Some of us have been going a while, others have found it recently via Steve's site! When I asked myself the question, I thought I started late last year, but then thinking about it, it was that I'd made a big breakthrough last year. This year also -finding Steve's site was a big step up.

I'm loving reading these posts here! Please keep going!

Joy and growth to all!!
Hazel

[helgi]

I crashed. Like the Hindenburg.

[Yellow]

Well, I had heard a lot about Stephen Covey's Seven habits of highly effective people and his son's book for teens. I got my hands on Seven habits of highly effective teens which got me hooked to all kinds of self help books. I got busy with school afterwards and lost all of it. Just realized how my life is in a rut compared to back then so I am coming back to it.

[Susie]

I liked to browse in the library from a young age and wandered into the "self help" section in my teens (not that it was labeled as such). The topics were fascinating-- however I think that reading personal development books at a very young age maybe wasn't the best thing, while it gave me some good ideas I was also too prone to taking what I read as fact and I tended to believe the discouraging things, too-- I didn't have enough life experience to discern what was just plain b.s.

So I don't think any one thing triggered my interest in pd. I came across the books, they were interesting, and I've enjoyed reading them all my life.

[namitsu]

When I searched for startrek and came on steve's 'lessons from startrek' article.

[RT Wolf]

Originally Posted by namitsu

When I searched for startrek and came on steve's 'lessons from startrek' article.

Hahahaha. Steve's too good at SEO.

[LauraC]

I began by doing the Landmark Forum in Feb, which led to "what the bleep do we know", which lead to me doing an internet search on the Law of Attraction/Intention Manifestation, which lead me to Steve's site.

This year has been HUGE for me ! I love what I've been learning. My book shelves are filling with PD books and I've grown so much.

I've gone from "life is hard" to "life is fantastic and I can make anything happen"

I'm currently reading Wayne Dyer's: Power of Intention - and have ordered his 2 childrens books for my kids.

[dECLAN]

Originally Posted by LauraC

I'm currently reading Wayne Dyer's: Power of Intention - and have ordered his 2 childrens books for my kids.

Nice one Laura!

The Power of Intention is an excellent book.

[ReallyGoodIdeas]

I agree Laura and Declan!
The Power of Intention is a brilliant book. I read a few of Wayne Dyer's earlier books before (synchronicity stories there too) but Power of Intention is great at just spelling the whole thing out isn't it?

Joy to you
Hazel

[ReallyGoodIdeas]

Funny you should say that Tracy!

I had a nasty motorbike accident shortly after I got married. Amongst other injuries, the bone leading to my wedding ring finger was broken and the ring had to come off (v painful).

My chiropractor at the time (a v wise man) asked me if I understood why I'd had the accident. I told him it was because my husband had gone too fast round the corner, but that's not what he was asking. He pursued the line of questioning to yes, but what can you learn from this? It took me years and years before I understood what he meant.

Now I understand...

If I can speed up anyone's recovery from pain, I want to do it. If it means asking difficult questions, I'll do it. But it takes two to hear something, one to say it and the other to hear it.

Joy to you
Hazel

[cela]

Hazel,

Thank you for your wonderful, thoughtful posts on this board! How cool to have a chiroprator who also asks the big questions

What started me on PD? Not sure - I've been thinking about this question since you posted it...

I don't think there was a snap moment for me, although something led me to buy the book 'Creative Visualisation' by Shakti Gawain at about age 15, and I've been into PD ever since. I think it might have been me trying to visualise a boyfriend at that point.

I think it's just a deep feeling that I have more to offer in this life, untapped potential...I have had a relatively trouble-free life - great family, did well at school, beatiful husband, great job and so on, and so on...I feel so blessed by what I do have, and I want to make the most of it.

Also, I feel it relates to Abraham Maslow's 'Hierarchy of Needs' Maslow's hierarchy of needs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - once you've got the basics covered, you naturally tend towards self-actualisation.

So, there's my story!

Cheers,
Claire

[TheFlyingMan]

Hazel,

Did the chiropractor lead you to finding out that ultimately you were just with the wrong guy? Or what was the final conclusion?

And thanks for the EFT session, I still have repetitive thoughts but they've been cut down to like, 4 or 5 a day. And this repetitive thought problem has been bugging me for years!

[skydust]

this is a really interesting topic.

for me it has been a part of my life for as long as i can remember. as a child i used to entertain myself with various philosophical questions, for example: imagining that the universe doesn't exist, experiencing 'nothing'. it was quite a mind fcuk actually, which i really enjoyed.

but what made me start the journey consciously happened one day when i realised that i feel very uneducated. i swapped schools at one point and missed out on a lot of info as my new school had already covered it and my old one hadnt yet.
i felt especially behind in history and one day, i was chatting to a friend and my dad about current events and i realised god, i know nothing compared to these people! i felt so stupid. so i decided i would start learning and teaching myself things if the school wasnt going to. and it sort of led me here.

now i know that im not 'stupid', and i still enjoy learning new things and expanding my awareness, although now its not to have another 'trophy on my shelf', its just because i enjoy the journey. i feel like its just getting started

[dailyplanit]

My question is, what are good questions to ask that might lead people to think about personal development? Possibly: "What's going well for you?" or "What does your ideal life look like?" Any ideas?

[JHL]

My question is, what are good questions to ask that might lead people to think about personal development?

I think a good departure point is "What is the meaning of life?" It stands to reason that one's approach to life should be rooted in what one considers to be its chief meaning and purpose.

Then again I've never been a particularly reasonable chap. Why, I once combined a cherise polka dotted flannel vest with a pair of shocking green bermuda shorts to an engagement party. During the proceedings someone pointed at me in mock horror and yelled that the salad dressing was getting away. Sod them, my therapist thinks I'm a nice person.

[skydust]

Originally Posted by dailyplanit

My question is, what are good questions to ask that might lead people to think about personal development? Possibly: "What's going well for you?" or "What does your ideal life look like?" Any ideas?

personally i dont think people should try and get others started on it, everyone will find it when they are ready. just deal with your own development, and that might just insipre people around you.