As those of you who are my friends on facebook know, we were burgled one night just last week.

Yep, whilst we slept' safe and sound' in our own home some low life broke into our kitchen window, came into our home and stole amongst other things 2 lap top computers.

Now, we decided there are 2 ways of looking at this situation……

1   Total outrage that someone should dare to enter our home and sanctuary uninvited and not only that but dare to take things that they had no right to. Then there of course are the issues that this raises – the 'what if's'…………..

What if they had decided to come into the rest of the house and even worse upstairs?  We could be left thinking about this scenario for months and live in fear for ever after thinking what if?

OR…………..

2   Yes, we admit it was not a great experience however…………………… the reality was that they did not come upstairs and we are all fine, they only took 2 computers and some other bits.  The window got fixed and the computers are being replaced. 

These people are not going to be allowed to prey on our minds and create fears for us because they have not touched us.  In fact, thanks to them we have now got more improved security than before.

So, all in all we are the winners who have moved on in our lives with another of lifes experiences notched up.  We have learned from it and moved on stronger and richer than we were and I suppose in a funny sort of way we actually have to say thanks for giving us this opportunity to learn from.

We always try to look on any experience in life as something to learn valuable lessons from no matter how adverse it may seem.  You learn the greatest lessons from those situations that put you out of your comfort zone and how you choose to deal with them will determine how you grow or how you stagnate.

How YOU react is YOUR choice and under YOUR control, and you can blame no one else because the decision is YOURS. 

A lesson in personal growth from the family rabbit.

We have got 3 pet Rabbits who are all very special to us, Dusty (dad), Loopy and Lulu (the kids) and as the weather here in the UK is pretty good at the moment we like them to play outside as much as possible so we built them a run in the garden. 

Nothing flashy, just 4 posts in the ground and some chicken wire around them to stop escapes, but they love it and it keeps them safe.

Now, ordinarily all 3 are happy to play and run around and eat the dandelions and clover and to lie in the sun.  However, just the other day Dusty decided that he wanted to explore and go beyond the boundaries he knew and felt comfortable in so he did what Rabbits do well he, dug his way under the wire and got out into the bushes.

Obviously, a family panic ensued once we noticed he was missing and an immediate hunt began (the usual drama of tears) .  It did not take us long to find him though because within just a few minutes he was back at the wire and he was trying his best to get back into the run.  The problem that this created was that he then got his head stuck in the wire and of course created another different trauma. These are the sort of stories that make family memories …

But, the point I am making with this story is that Dusty did exactly what we as people do when we venture out of our comfort zone, he felt uncomfortable

……………and he wanted back in sharpish.

Although this comfort zone may not be absolutely perfect we feel safe within it.  It provides us with boundaries that we are familiar with and when we go beyond these it creates feelings that can range from slight unease right through to sheer terror. 

How we deal with these feeling is what differentiates those who grow from those who stagnate. Those who stay with those feelings and work through them are the ones who evolve and move forwards in their lives to bigger and better.

As beings we all need to feel safe and protected but and this is a huge but…..our potential for growth is far greater when we put ourselves into that discomfort zone of being out of the comfort range. 

By making ourselves feel uncomfortable we learn so much more about ourselves as we struggle to find a new level of comfort and when we get there we find the journey there changed us.  Dusty did not understand this being a bunny, but we as humans have the capacity to understand this.

So, if you are wanting to change your life and move yourself out of your current zone you have to make that move and take action. 

You have to have persistence, faith and the will to succeed no matter what.  Providing you have these you will have the strength to move yourself through those 'different' feelings to move yourself onwards and upwards to bigger and better every time.

Make a start right now and start by leaving me some comments to tell me about your experiences and input your name and email into the form on the sidebar to learn how you can change your life forever by learning how to strike out on your own and become your own boss….. 

Personal growth and self development are hotter topics than ever today & it seems that even Google is jumping onto the bandwagon its School of Personal Growth within the Google University. When the big guys start to understand the importance of personal growth & development, you know it is not only here to stay but ready to break into the mainstream with a whoosh. You can also be sure that if someone as big as Google is investing money in this, then they have already tried & tested it & have already got good proof & data that it works.

By encouraging a climate of creativity, relaxation, support & emotional stability, human stress levels begin to fall. In turn stress hormone levels then begin to fall. By supporting creativity & relaxation other positive & happy hormones begin to flow, which in turn make us feel better and happier & allows our minds to open to new creative possibilities. In the world today information & ideas are king. It makes good business sense to keep employees happy & healthy on every level to keep their creativity levels functioning way above just the optimum.

The human mind can be seen as a process that regulates the flow of energy & information. When this is open & receptive the flow of new positive information & ideas can flow. Most people are familiar with the theory that we are all vibrating packages of energy & our thoughts & emotions are just another form of this. So, the logical step forward from this is that we are all connected & what we experience with our thoughts, feelings & emotions is a personal & shared experience.

Philosophers & scholars throughout the ages have always understood the importance of being able to fulfil our human potential. By developing individual people as whole human beings on all levels of mental, emotional & physical we not only attain higher levels of achievement on a personal level but also on a global level. However, historically in business it has never really taken off as a serious subject just regarded as something a ‘bit woolly’ & ‘trendy’ not something that ultimately creates profits.

The 3 books that I have found that inspire me which I read & reread constantly are, The Travellers Gift by Andy Andrews, The Alchemist by Paulo Coehelo and Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. These books inspire me & always give me new ideas to think about no matter how many times I may have read them before. They provide me with this set of guidelines which I use as a basis for living my life so that I am focussed & programmed not only think, but also ‘feel’ on every level.

I accept and take total responsibility for my life, whether I succeed or fail.

I seek help from others who are like minded and I surround myself with like minded individuals. I no longer surround myself with people who drag me down, make me feel bad or who complain & moan. I now choose to associate with those who I admire & those who I aspire to become like. In the economic climate that we are currently experiencing it is all too easy to get sucked into the swell of gloom & hysteria. I no longer buy newspapers and rarely if ever listen to the news. I make a conscious choice to eliminate negativity wherever possible from my life.

I no longer site on the fence prevaricating about decisions, I will make a decision then take action and see it through.

My dreams & visions of success dominate my thoughts, dreams & emotions. I am passionate about these & in my heart know that they are coming true right now. I have chosen success & happiness.

I choose to make the best out of a situation even if it does not appear to be as I wanted it or planned it as things work out the way they do for a reason. If the outcome is not as I imagined, then I try to work out what can be learned from the experience & turn it around.

I choose to forgive – myself & others. By releasing the demons of the past I free up enormous amounts of energy & time. All the time I spent dwelling on things gone by is just a waste. History is gone and by letting those thoughts & emotions go free I am free to concentrate on the present & the future.

I never give in or give up. I have total faith and focus on results. Sometimes things take a bit longer than I would like but by exercising persistence & never accepting defeat I will not fail. The longer the journey, the greater the reward at the end.

Personal growth & development is a massive area of growth in terms of market & research. The fact the a corporation so big as Google is now taking it so seriously gives it the mainstream credibility it has lacked for a long time. Maybe now we will see more companies investing in their employees in this way. Even if this does not happen we each need to view it as a personal responsibility to ourselves to enrich not only our own lives but everyone else & the world around us.