I’m often asked the question, “How can I help someone else change, improve, be better?”
My answer often comes as a surprise, and here it is: The key to helping others is to help you first.
In other words, the best contribution I can make to someone else is my own personal development. If I become 10 times wiser or 10 times stronger, think of what that will do for my adventure as a father… as a business colleague… as a friend.
So the best gift you can give to others, really, is your ongoing personal development—getting better, getting stronger, becoming wiser.
If you have ever ridden in an airplane, then you might have noticed the oxygen compartment located above every seat. There are explicit instructions that say, “In case of an emergency, secure your own mask before helping others.” Take care of yourself first. If we used that same philosophy throughout our whole life, it would be so valuable.
I think parents should pick up this valuable philosophy. If the parents are OK, the kids have an excellent chance of being OK. If you learn to create happiness, your kids have an excellent chance of being happy. If you create a unique lifestyle for yourself, it will be a great example to serve your family.
Self-development enables you to serve, to be more valuable to those around you—for your child, for your colleague, for your business, for your community.
That’s why I teach development skills. If you keep refining all the parts of your character, yourself, your health so that you become an attractive person, you’ll attract opportunity. Opportunity will begin to seek you out. Your reputation will begin to precede you and people will want to be close with you, to do business with you.
All of that possibility is created by working on the philosophy that success is something you attract by continually working on your own personal development.
Photo by Efetova Anna / Shutterstock
