How Self-Development Protects You

We often think of self-development as a pursuit that builds positive capabilities such as courage, ambition, or a success mindset. And of course it can generate many positive results if we truly invest in it, such as loving relationships, a meaningful and lucrative career, and a rewarding lifestyle. But we can easily overlook just how beautifully self-development protects us from major problems in life, including serious but common problems that drag many people down for years, if not decades. Preventing Self-Destruction I originally got into self-development as a path away from self-destructive behavior when I was younger. I turned my efforts towards personal growth largely because I wanted to shift away from who I was and towards becoming someone better. If I hadn’t done this, I could very well have spent much of my 20s in and out of jail. Later in life I met someone whose story started out similar to mine, and he did just that, spending eight years of his life behind bars. Instead of letting my life continue to slide in that direction, I started reading books and listening to audio programs. I built up my self-control and discipline, went back to school, and earned two degrees in three semesters. Self-development invited me to invest my energy in a constructive direction, and I’m grateful for that. It saved me from many problems. While some people may take this for granted, sometimes I find it gratifying just to count how many years it’s been si...
Source: Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Health Lifestyle Source Type: blogs