Every tree you see has the same thing in common. It started out as a seed planted in the ground. Look at all the trees in the rainforest. They started out as seeds. Overtime, those seeds grew into what you see today. So now, I have a question for you. How can you expect to produce fruit in an area where you have not even planted seeds? What have you done or what are you doing to produce growth in different areas of your life? I’ve observed to see what those who are successful in the areas that I want to have success in are doing. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that they are taking the time to invest in themselves. Let me say it a different way. They are taking the time to obtain the knowledge that they do not have. Sometimes the only thing that separates the haves and the have not is knowledge. Now, my question is what do you do to get the knowledge that you do not have.
One of the ways to obtain knowledge that you do not have is by investing in yourself and going to a conference for personal and/or professional development. Before I continue, I want to encourage you to DO YOUR RESEARCH before signing up for the first conference that comes your way. There are some that will add great value to your life while others are basically just trying to get as much money out of you as possible. But going to a conference will put you in front of people who have the explicit knowledge that you need to grow. Some of the best conferences will cost you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. You have to see this as an investment. Remember they have what you need, the information. Money is just the tool you’re using to get it. I’m going to challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and attend at least one professional development conference within the next year.
Sometimes youth is a gift that is wasted on the young. That saying made no sense to me until I got older. One of the pieces of advice that I wish I would have listened to when I first got married was to attend marriage conferences. No, this does not mean that your marriage is in a bad place. No matter where you are in your relationship, it can always get better. Why not invest in something that you will keep for the rest of your life? Can you imagine the pitfalls that can be avoided and how much more fulfilling your marriage would be if you actually made the investments to make it that way? When I was younger, I use to think that you only went to a marriage conference if your marriage was in trouble. That mindset will keep your marriage at a certain level. Sow seeds into your marriage so that you can continue to produce good fruit in the future.
The big question is why. Why should I spend all this money investing in conferences or programs? I use to ask the same question when I had a poverty mindset. The answer is simple. These individuals and the programs are giving you years of information without you having to make the same mistakes they made. Ok, let me give you an example. Let’s say that you decide tomorrow that you want to invest in real estate. You could choose to do it on your own and make all the mistakes along the way. Or, you could spend a few thousand dollars and have someone with over 20 years of success in real estate guide you through the process. They literally have all the information that you will need to be successful. They can help you reach your goals a lot quicker than if you continued to do it on your own. Money is just a tool. The true value is in the knowledge. Once you understand that, then you will have no problem investing in yourself.
You must be willing to sow seeds into your own life. I use to have the mindset that I didn’t need to do that and I thought it was selfish to spend that kind of money on myself without an immediate return. Get out of that poverty mindset. The moment I let go of that way of thinking, I begin to see things differently. It was as if I went from darkness to light. Make the investments in the things that are important to you. Don’t just hold on to seeds or put them all away. Seeds were made to be planted. Sow them and allow them to grow. Again, I’m going to encourage you to invest in yourself in a way that you never have before over the next year. Get the information you need and get to another level. You got this.
Shawn's Blog 