I have seen older people that have seemed to go through their entire life without ever really looking inside to find out who they are. It actually makes me sad. There is so much more to life than what most people see.
For me, the personal growth that most people think of is only part of the issue, however. Personal growth is often thought to be a "feel good" term that actually means very little. I believe what the term means is different for everyone. For me, it is not just about knowing 'who I am,' although that is part of it. It is also about knowing where my strengths and weaknesses are, and knowing what to do about them. The strengths that I have should be increased as much as possible, and the weaknesses that I have should be eliminated. However, a lot of weaknesses cannot actually be eliminated. They are part of a person's character, and some of them might only be weaknesses in a particular situation. Other issues that are always weaknesses, however, such as being rude to others, always coming in late, or procrastinating are areas that should be worked on so that an individual will not find himself or herself in serious trouble with employers and others.
There are some skills, however, such as being able to communicate well with others and being a good listener that are helpful in virtually any job. These kinds of skills should be cultivated because they never go out of style and they can always be useful. While eliminating weaknesses is important,...
The people skills that I learned through all of the experiences that I had have helped me to work with individuals that I never really thought I would be able to work with. Some of these individuals were difficult and demanding, and others clearly knew more than I did and were condescending about it. Despite any of this, however, being able to speak to individuals and listen to them can go a long way toward making others feel that they are important and that their opinion is valued.
In the business world, there are often times when a person has to pretend to be happy when they are not, or pretend to care about someone's opinion when they really do not. The most important issue, though, is to learn compassion for others. One person doesn't really know what others are going through, and judging them harshly when they may have had a bad day or when they may be in great emotional pain is not only unprofessional, but it stops personal growth as well. People can only grow when they are open to new experiences, and a lot of individuals are not as open to helping others (and themselves) as they should be. In order for me to continue to grow in the future, however, I have to be open to new experiences and I have to remember everything that I learned from my past experiences. This will keep me moving forward and let me continue to grow as an individual, both professionally and personally.
