To What Extent Are You Growing Through New Ideas?

We all try to make sense of the world and our lives within it by forming conclusions about the world.? For example, we have probably all concluded that the sun rises in the East every morning, and that our mothers love us. We assemble these conclusions gradually over time, and eventually consolidate them into a set of beliefs we call a worldview. All of this generally takes place on a subconscious level. Without these conclusions we would have a very difficult time getting through every day.

?????????? We’ve formed some of these conclusions because we have observed them in nature.? The sunrise in the East is one example.? Others, particularly in the realm of politics and religion, have generally been taught to us in our formative years.? They are beliefs, as opposed to observations of natural phenomenon, and we believe them because we’ve been told to.

?????????? At some point in our development, we have formed beliefs about most of the important things in our lives.? It’s then that our maturation process dictates that, to continue to grow, we must replace some previously held belief with a different one.? For example, we may have attended a socialist-oriented university and been taught that capitalism is evil.? When we get out into the real world, we discover that it provides us with a job and opportunities, and we revise our beliefs.? We’ve replaced one belief with another.

?????????? This is called growth.? And, human beings have the capacity to think and grow for their entire lifetime, although few actually do. What seems to happen most frequently is that people level off at some point in this process and stop growing.??

?????????? We are all familiar with the common belief that the older a person becomes, the more ‘set in his ways’ he/she becomes.? In other words, the less likely they will challenge their beliefs.? As a veteran sales trainer, I can personally vouch for the idea that older salespeople are generally the most difficult to change.

?????????? But resistance to growth doesn’t have to be an age-related phenomenon.? We all know people who have arrested in their development somewhere along the line.? This can happen to a 20-something as easily as to a 60- something.

?????????? Arrested development is unfortunate for the individual.? It robs him/her of a fuller and more complete life, of enriching discoveries and relationships, and often of economic enhancement.? In other words, when someone stops growing, they stop expanding their spheres of relationships, and become limited... CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE