Personal Development in a Nutshell

By Freddy Davis

What will it take for you to move to the next level in your life?

The potential for human personal development is virtually unlimited. That being said, very few people are willing to put forth the effort that it takes to develop that potential to its highest level. But for those who want to take that journey, there is a system to make it happen. In this book you will learn:

- The essence of personal development.
- What are the tools you use for personal development.
- How you can put yourself in a position for personal growth.
- A five step system for your personal development.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Freddy Davis
• Release date: Jan 17, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465766045

Freddy Davis

Freddy Davis is the president of MarketFaith Ministries. He is married to Deborah and has one son, Ken. Freddy did his undergraduate studies at Florida State University in Speech Communications and received his MDiv and DMin degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition to his pastoral ministry and work with MarketFaith Ministries, Freddy served overseas as an international missionary for nearly 17 years (in Japan and in the former Soviet Republic of Latvia). Freddy is the author of numerous books, workbooks and other works.

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Personal Development in a Nutshell

How to Achieve Your Highest Potential

By Freddy Davis

Personal Development in a Nutshell

By Freddy Davis

Copyright © 2004 Freddy Davis

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 - What is Personal Development?

Chapter 2 - Focusing on the Whole with a Nod to the Parts

Chapter 3 - The Foundation for Personal Development

Chapter 4 - The Tools of Personal Development

Chapter 5 - The Transition to Personal Development - Decision and Attitude

Chapter 6 - The Implementation - Personal Development in Your Life

Chapter 7 - A System for Personal Development

Chapter 8 - Make it Happen

Introduction

Relatively speaking, there are not a lot of homeless people in Japan, but there are some. When I lived in Tokyo, I remember walking through Shinjiku station and seeing an occasional homeless person who had staked out his territory on a bench or on the ground in some obscure corner.

There is one man, in particular, that I remember seeing on numerous occasions. I don’t know anything about his situation, but in my imagination I can still see his face. What made him so unforgettable was his hair. He had very long hair and it obviously had not been managed for quite a long time - maybe even years. I have never before, or since, seen hair that was as ratty and knotted as his. He never washed it or combed it or did anything with it. Whenever I saw him he was just wandering around the station or camped out in his little corner. It was quite a pathetic sight.

It is a sad situation when individuals come to a place in their life when they just give up. At that point, all of the excitement, ambition, energy, enthusiasm and hope drain out of life and they become content just to muddle through.

It happens more often than you might think. Perhaps the most dramatic examples are the homeless people you see sitting on park benches or panhandling on city streets - like the man in Tokyo. But they are the exceptions rather than the rule. The most common example is the average person that you, yourself, hang out with every day. Most are just normal, ordinary people. And, if we were honest, we might even see this person as we look in the mirror every day.

Every time you see a person who lays aside the personal drive to advance to a higher level as a parent, worker, student, ball player or whatever, you are looking at a person who has fallen into a pattern of mediocrity. Every time you see a person who sits for hours every day playing couch potato in front of the TV, you are seeing another example of it. Every time you see a person who doesn’t care whether or not he gets another advancement on the job or in the club, you are witnessing the backwards movement of another soul. Every time you hear of a person who has turned to drugs or alcohol to get through another day, you see another downward spiraling life.

This is not meant to downplay the need for rest when fatigue sets in. Everyone needs down time to recover strength and energy. What we are talking about, here, are those people who have settled into a pattern of life that is unthinking and uncaring, and which causes them to quit intentionally going after life. These are the ones who have just settled into a habitual routine that robs them of life and energy.

This downward spiral happens for a number of different reasons. It might be the result of fatigue, burn-out, tragedy, age, depression, disappointment or the like. The fact is, we all go through times in our lives when we lose our spark.

But there is no reason we have to stay in that depressed state. In fact, we were created with the ability to, and for the purpose of, advancing continually in our lives. Anyone who wants to create a lifestyle of continual personal growth can do it.

And that is what this book is all about. There are ways for us to set ourselves on a path that causes us to move to ever higher levels. We can grow emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. And as we grow in each of these four areas, our whole being can move to higher and higher levels of excitement, ambition, energy, enthusiasm and hope.

If you are looking for an edge that will give you insight and motivation to take your life to the next level, you have come to the right place. In this book we will examine the principles of growth, explore the issues that allow us to grow and discover concrete things we can do to take ourselves down a road that gives meaning to life. Read on and learn the principles that will help you become the best you can be.

Chapter 1

What is Personal Development?

I have been studying tai-chi for several years, now, and have found it to be one of the most fascinating things I have ever done. Tai-chi is a martial art where you go through a series of very slow movements over and over again. The purpose of the art is to train the entire person to be a more effective martial artist. It simply takes