All of us were saddened to hear of Mr. Jim Rohn's recent passing, however, his memory and teachings will live through us for generations to come. Each of us has our personal favorites of Jim's stories and business teachings. One of his talents was his ability to keep things simple - to take life changing concepts and make them easy for us to understand. Included in this short article are just a couple of things that come to mind as I reflect on the many hours I have spent listening to Jim preach about his mentor and the value of personal development in living the life we are meant to live.

Importance of a Mentor

Whenever Jim would share his stories, he would always mention his mentor, Earl Schoaf. His mentor taught him how to change his life and how to be wealthy. Jim would tell the story about not having $2 to buy Girl Scout cookies, and how that would be a low point in his life. He decided right then that he did not want to continue living like he was, and was determined to change his position in life. It was shortly after this defining moment that he met his mentor, and his life was forever changed. We've all heard the saying that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.

One of the philosophies that Jim learned from his mentor was that he needed to work on himself. He couldn't control outside influences, like the economy, but he could control the person that he would become. He also learned about the importance of setting goals and defining his future. He learned about creating a vision for his future and living his life by design - not by chance.

Jim first heard that 'profits are better than wages' from his mentor. He had never heard it put that way before. He was told that wages can make you a living, but profits can make you a fortune. It stretched his brain, and it stretched mine, too. He learned new concepts and a different way to think. A mentor can turn your life around. How valuable would a mentor be to you?

Personal Development

'Unless you change how you are, you will always have what you've got'. To me, this is the essence of personal development. Are you happy with what you've got? What are you willing to change to get what you want? This is all about taking personal responsibility for your life. No excuses. Where we are at today is nobody else's fault. Sure, we all have 'things' happen to us, but what it's really about who we are and what we become. And it's not all about getting rich - it's about living a rich life; living life on purpose.

'We all have two choices: we can make a living or we can design a life'. We do have choices, and the decisions we make every day help to create our tomorrows. It really is about living the life you see when you close your eyes and dream! It is so easy to get caught up and bogged down in the details of each day. Take time each day to work toward your life goals, to bring out the person that is deep down inside you, and to experience all that life has to offer. I challenge you to make personal development a part of your daily life, and reap the rewards of making yourself just a little bit better than you were the day before.

'Let the end of your life find you climbing a new mountain, not sliding down an old one'. - Jim Rohn