How many times have you heard the old adage “If you are not growing, you are dying”? A tad on the morbid side, right?! Although more applicable to plant life, there is an abundance of truth when it comes to us humans as well.
I believe that we are driven by three circles of growth entitled Professional, Financial, and Personal. They are interconnected, and we need to play all three of them with a passion for winning. Saul Bellow called it “seizing the day.” One can have a “chicken or the egg” argument all day long on this one, but I submit that the cycle starts with Professional Growth. Not necessarily the tedious climb up the corporate ladder, but the constant search for open windows to crawl inside and test the climate. Perhaps musicians, chefs, dancers, and artists “pursue their passion”, but most of us simply take advantage of the opportunities presented by the open windows until we become passionate about one of them. It took me the first 23 years of my career to find that window. Perhaps I’m too picky!
It takes a little courage for all of us to get up and take on the world each day. Don’t limit yourself, explore your talents, drink the whole glass of experience. Once you become passionate about your work, your Professional Growth accelerates like compound interest. And then within the natural progression, Financial Growth begins to open up different kinds of windows, creating peace of mind and a clearer path to Personal Growth.
Written by guest blogger, Mark Weigel.