In the early 2000s, I took a journey into the world of Herbalife. A multi-level marketing company, and unknowingly it was also a journey into personal development. The idea of a business that could run from home around kids and life had always appealed to me. I attended all the meetings, including the big international ones. That meant jostling for toilets with no paper and pushing through hordes of excited people. (Special mention – my introverted nature means this is challenging beyond description). I worked hard to do everything my mentor advised. There was lots of time and effort invested, but it fell flat on its face.
After much contemplation, I have since come to realise that it wasn’t something that I loved or was “passionate” about. I really just wanted to make some extra income, but the claims of what you can earn are overblown. So, of course, it didn’t work out well for me.
This idea of doing something you really care about is such an important factor. It should be considered more when you are starting your own business, no matter what it is. As a business owner, the buck stops with you. A high level of energy and enthusiasm can help to get you over the line. How are you able to help someone else without the deep belief that what you have to offer will be helpful?
The most valuable thing I took home from this journey was finding out about the world of Personal Development. What a cracker, something I had never been exposed to before laid out in front of me like a map. The idea that I could learn to be a better person and have better skills anywhere anytime was a revelation!
The Clarke curse
Up until this point, I had been subject to the Clarke Curse. This was the explanation my mum used to blame for bad or unwanted events that happened in our family. I have a couple of issues with this label. First of all, I feel this is quite unfair to the Clarke family. They certainly don’t attract any more challenges in life than anyone else. Secondly, it suggests that we have no control or influence over anything. To be exposed to the idea that the way we think can have an impact on our lives was ground-breaking to me.
I was introduced to amazing people like Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, Earl Nightingale, Jack Canfield and many others. There are many other amazing people who have also risen above the crowd and are helping people change their lives. In this day of technology, most of these speakers and writers can be found on many online platforms.
We have some choices
Now don’t misunderstand me here. I am not talking about Rah-Rah positive thinking” but instead strong, truthful, thoughtful and grounded thinking and speaking. There are many things in our lives that we have little to no control over. How we think and react is not one of these things. We can develop control of our minds. With some work, we can identify patterns and habits that we can work on to improve our state. There are, of course, situations of mental illness that can make this situation very different, but for many of us, we have some choices.
The journey into personal development has continued for me over the years. I hope to share some of the many thoughts and ideas with you over time.