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Self-Improvement & Personal-Development

As an author and professional speaker, I often refer to two seemingly like concepts; self-improvement and personal-development.  If you every hear me speak, initially, you may ask yourself; isn’t self-improvement and personal-development the same thing?  Somewhat but there is a difference.  Both are important, and both are necessary for personal growth.  Here is the difference between the two.

Self-Improvement

Self-improvement is all about ending negative behaviors. It is discontinuing destructive activities and habits; putting an end to those activities that we know are bad for us. More importantly, we substitute those negative habits with constructive and positive activities and habits. Self-improvement activities are geared to improving one's knowledge, status and character.  These efforts can be aimed at improving any part of your life. Self-improvement addresses areas that align with a healthy state of mind and body.  You self-improve in one area of your life, and you move on.  You can self-improve in one of The Seven Life Areas: Mind, Body, Spirit, Leisure, Relationships, Profession & Finances. But, when you address and correct one life area, the benefit is that usually, other life areas benefit as well.

 Personal-Development

Personal-development, on the other hand, is about learning, growing and further developing as a person.  Personal-development efforts are activities that expand awareness and identity; develop talents and potential; they build human capital and facilitate employability.  These are activities that enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations.  The two, self-improvement and personal-development work together; each performing their respective roles.  As previously stated, self-improvement addresses areas that align with a healthy state of mind and body.  Once all life areas are in a healthy state, personal-development provides a stronger foundation to build upon—you further develop, taking your life to the next level. Personal-development takes place over the course of a person's entire life and involves both formal and informal activities.  

By formal, I am referring to the things that we learn at home, in our communities, in school, from society, and in our religious practice.  By informal, I am referring to the things that we learn when we open our minds, explore, drop our defenses and look beyond ourselves.  This can involve efforts such as reading, studying, traveling, trying new things and looking within ourselves.  Now that we have a better understanding about the distinction between self-improvement and personal-development, you now have understand that self-improvement and personal-development must be life-long efforts.

You see, we don’t improve or develop and then we arrive.  For life is not about working to reach the top of a mountain.  Such mountaintop doesn’t exist.  Therefore, we cannot improve and stop.  Because whatever stops, begins to die.  But rather, life is more like an expanding journey where we continue to learn, grow and develop in one life area or another.

So, if you wan to be truly successful, happy and fulfilled, you must continue to self-improve and develop yourself as a whole person.

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Purpose & Meaning of Life

The purpose and meaning of life is to find and establish direction and balance. Direction is knowing who you are, where you are currently in life, and more importantly where are you heading.  Life direction gives you a strong sense of identity and a purpose for living.  On the other hand, life balance is achieved by setting and working towards goals in all the crucial life areas.  We will cover these crucial life areas later.

Now, some may say, "Establishing direction and balance is not a meaning for life".  And there lies one of the greatest secrets of the human species.  Since the beginning of time, man and woman has pondered and at times searched for the meaning of our existence.  Why do we live and why are we here on earth?  As if there is a collective answer for us all.  There is not.  For the meaning of life is what we create and assign it.  Each and every one of us is responsible for creating the true significance to our own existence.  If you don't establish your own life meaning, others will do it for you.  Then, you will be living the life that others want you to live, and not the life that you were intended to live.  So, how do we find the meaning to our life?  You find your own life meaning as you embark on your personal journey to find and establish life direction and balance.  Just like direction and balance, your life meaning has to be searched for, created, and established.

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Mind-Body and Spirit

A complete system designed to inspire, guide, track, measure, and focus your self​-​improvement efforts and​ your​ ​personal-development goals.  Keys to Greatness is a guide to discover your personal greatness by taking an active and holistic; mind, body, and spirit approach.