Finding Your One Thing - Why The Personal Development Industry Is Exploding
December 11th, 2009
The personal development movement has been around for , well, as long as people have been around. Whether the term is self-help, self-development, personal growth, or self-enlightenment, people have historically looked for different ways and different means to greater fulfillment. And they are willing to pay for it! How fast is this industry growing today? According to one source, in just the United States alone, people have spent an estimated
* 5 BILLION dollars in the year 2000 * 9.5 BILLION dollars in the year 2005 and will invest an estimated * 13 BILLION dollars in the year 2010
This market has almost tripled in size over the last decade. One can see that our desire for being more and finding our one thing is growing at a phenomenal rate. So why now? What has driven people since the beginning of time to search for greater meaning in their life and why has this search exploded in the last few years? Part of the answer to the last question may be in this short clip from the 1991 movie “City Slickers”, starring Jack Palance and Billy Crystal. ( Note: PG-13 language coming your way! )
Jack Palance’s character “Curly” suggests that if we find the “one thing”, everything else won’t mean S#@*! Billy Crystal’s character asks what we all want to know.”what’s the one thing?” . The wise old cowboy Curly replies “That’s what YOU have to figure out”. Yeah, thanks a bunch Curly. Much easier said than done! Consider the Information Age in which we live and the sheer amount of ideas, thoughts, data and sensory input we are exposed to on a daily basis. According to a recent Pew Research study, almost 2/3 of all adults in the United States have broadband access to the internet in their home. The Nielson Company tells us that there is a television in 98.9% of households in the U.S. If all of that isn’t enough, we can get on an airplane and fly nearly anywhere in the world to experience something different first-hand. Fifty years ago, thirty years ago, even twenty years ago, we simply did not have nearly so much information available. It can be incredibly overwhelming just trying to get through the day being exposed to all those different messages. So for many people, finding their one thing is all about filtering the information that is coming at them and discovering what and who they are at their core.
So back to Billy Crystal’s question. What’s the one thing…..and how DO you find it? People are like snowflakes. No two of us are alike. Though we may have similar callings, paths, or purposes in life, our “one thing” will be unique to each of us. One way to filter through all of the information and begin the process of finding your one thing is to start at the beginning. Your beginning. Here is an easy to use tool that will provide you some insight and direction around finding your one thing. If you are still reading this, you are indeed interested in finding your one thing and the most critical step is to action. Use this tool or get a recommendation from a colleague/friend or visit the personal development section of your local bookstore….but take action. If you need a little motivation to keep going, just remember Curly’s advice…..”once you find that one thing, everything else don’t mean S#&%!
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