How to Make Your Mark

This morning I had a crucial decision to make. I knew that I would be very busy throughout the entire day. I also knew that I would need to eat in the evening in order to replenish my energy. (I don’t know whether you are like me, but at the end of a very busy day I am usually very hungry).

Knowing that I would be too tired to cook, I considered the options available to me: I could wait until evening and just microwave some of the three-minute meals that were in the refrigerator or I could pull out the crock-pot and let the pot roast cook itself throughout the day. (Someone else would have added fast food to the options but that is never an option for me). I made a quick decision. I pulled out the crock-pot and ended up having a delicious meal in the evening.

Thinking about the whole process I went through made me think about our approach to personal growth. Personal growth is a process, not an instant event. It takes place over the course of many days, weeks, months and years. You cannot “microwave” yourself into a self-actualized human being or a philosophical guru. You have to go through the “slow cooker” in order to develop into your full capabilities.

We derail our growth when we think that we can hasten the process. This is evidenced in the many people who are looking for just one thing that will change their lives. There is no “secret” to the process. You can’t just watch a “secret” DVD and change your life. There’s more to it than just that. There’s massive action that must take place behind the scenes. It has to be a quiet, slow process, not a fast, noisy activity.