Growth Comes from Learning

In society, we hear phrases like "self-development," "self-help," "personal growth." To some, these are just phrases describing nice ideology with no follow-through; to others, these philosophies are something to live by.

The First Category

I used to be in the first category—I didn’t think or realise that my life could be a whole lot better than what it was. I had graduated with a diploma in music. Not able to find any industry-related work, I’d been out of employment for a couple of months, gradually spending what money I had left from an inheritance—life seemed to be dealing a bad hand. But then something changed that year which I believe is something that has helped me to get where I am today.

I began an internship later that year, in 2017, which focussed heavily on character development. I began to see things in a new light—that there WAS more to life than what I’d been seeing—but it had to begin with self. I used to be worried about what other people thought of me and my decisions, letting fear drive me. I used to be worried that if I did something that wasn’t culturally accepted that I would be outcasted! Have you ever felt like that? Where a every decision you make, you feel that other people are judging you... That was me throughout my teenage years right until November 2017...

Pondering Life in the Cafe

This was a key point in my life. I wouldn’t say it was the highest thus far, but it certainly was the start of an upward journey! I ended up landing a job in a world-renowned coffee chain. I had been without a job for just over three months, running low on finances, and after months of applying for job after job and attending interview after interview, I finally got offered a position, initially as a Christmas temp, with prospect of moving onto another store on a permanent contract.

It was around that time I began to change my mindset and approach to life. As I mentioned previously, I never thought much of self-development—it wasn’t part of my upbringing.

I had been contemplating blogging, posting articles which would inspire people to see the world in a different perspective. This had a lot to do with a change that was happening inside of me. I was beginning to realise that if I wanted to live a bigger life than where I was currently at, I had to grow myself. I had to think bigger, I had to have bigger vision, I had to have a bigger drive. This change in myself inspired me to inspire other people to do the same...

I was sitting in a local cafe when I was writing my first blog; this became my spot for blogging until I moved to another city. I was on a journey and wanted to help others also by that journey—to help them live out and exceed their potential, to help them change their situations and to realise that what they see around them is not a definitive story. That’s where my Bigger Thinking blog started...

The Second Category: My Journey with Self-Development

I soon realised that if I want to help people grow and live the BIGGEST lives they can and to fully unleash their potential then I needed to grow just as much (and even more). I began following self-help channels on YouTube, following motivational accounts on Instagram and Facebook. I would listen to TED Talks and follow social media accounts of well-known entrepreneurs. More recently, I have started reading books and developing habits in order to help me grow daily and to help me achieve the goals which will, in turn, bring me closer to or at least help prepare me for doing what I want to do in life. I believe my calling, in one way or another, involves influencing people and helping them to see a bigger picture of themselves, of life, of work, but also to help them become the best they can be. In order to do this, I need to first go where I want to take them.

Learning: The Key to Growth

So, as I have just illustrated, I went from being a teenager who worried about what other people thought of me to a young adult with a drive and ambition to grow myself so I can help people do the same. I just want to briefly add that self-developement is more to do with the development or betterment of self, helping you become more successful and helping you make better and wiser choices in life, to allow you to live life to the fullest and to help you step into your calling/purpose/vision for your life. That being said, mine is related to helping people but that still requires development and growth on my part.

I want you to understand that the growth or development of one’s self is different for everybody and I believe it is essential for everyone to endeavour to grow and live a life bigger than they could imagine or could have ever dreamed of. But there is a very simple key that unlocks that door to self-growth, self-development, self-help—call it what you will. That key is... learning.

There is a biblical principle that says "he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully." This is a universal principle—in the Bible, it has its own specific context but the principle can be carried into any situation. In the gym, if you only work out on light weights then you won’t see much muscle development, but if you’re working out on the heavier weights then you’re going to see muscle growth in the area of your body that you have been developing. If I want to grow my business as a musician, people are only ever going to hear my work if I put in the effort to publicise my music; if I were to only invest my time and efforts into that half-heartedly then I can expect the results of that to be half-hearted and not be as successful as I would have hoped for—you need to really work at it!

It’s the same with personal development, you need to grow. And how do you grow? By learning. There could be a specific area you want to grow in. If it’s finances, attend a money management course; if it’s business, attend a conference or network seminar; if it’s in communication or an instrument or a particular art or craft, then you can attend a masterclass. Currently, I am focusing more on reading, watching TED Talks, and watching interviews of successful business men and leaders. I am also reading through a pre-marriage book, investing time to learn more about married life and to prepare for the challenges that may come and hopefully avoid some challenges as well. As I learn, I grow in knowledge and understanding of a particular field and as I grow in my knowledge and understanding, I can then better apply and outwork that. The more time you learn then the more you are going to grow.

Final Thoughts

The key to growth on any level is learning. I cannot stress that enough! If you want to grow, you need to learn—no matter what aspect of life you are wanting to grow in. There are books available, podcasts, videocasts, documentaries, interviews, classes, you can even learn from a mentor—someone who has gone before you on the journey that you can learn and draw wisdom from. All these things help you grow.

It is my wish that you will live the best life that you can. Invest your time into learning so that you can grow in whatever area of life you wish to grow in and that you may be successful in life. Most importantly, I hope that you look at life with a bigger thinking mentality, that you live a life bigger than you could have imagined and leaving a significant impact and long-lasting legacy for generations to come.

Remember: The key to living a bigger life is by growing, and the key to growing is learning. Be willing and open to learn from different people, cultures, resources, and the more time you invest in learning, the more you are going to grow!