The Law of Contribution says “Growing Yourself Enables You to Grow Others.”  I think this is a great law to complete this series on. Regardless of the intent at the onset, when we grow ourselves we gain the knowledge and skills to add value to others.

Personal growth changes the way we think and from my experience, we gain the understanding of how important it is to use the gifts that we have to help others.  Once we see the value of how personal growth can positively impact our lives, we develop the desire to help others experience the same transformation.

We all want the world to be a better place, right?  Think about it – if we can help create a better environment for others, we are actually creating a better environment for ourselves.

John Maxwell in his book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth gives us seven suggestions to help cultivate an attitude of contribution:

1.  BE GRATEFUL

You cannot add value to others without an attitude conducive to doing so.  The best way to maintain a positive attitude is to be grateful for what you have been blessed with.  When you are feeling discouraged, challenge yourself to think about someone not as fortunate as you.  My guess is it won’t take very long.

2.  PUT PEOPLE FIRST

We have to put people first.  At the end of the day, nothing else matters.  Keeping your focus on people will lead you down a path of fulfillment and success.

3.  DON’T LET STUFF OWN YOU

All the “stuff” that we posses really doesn’t do us any good unless we have someone to share it with.  Consider the reason, “the why”, that creates the desire to have stuff.  I am not saying there is anything wrong with material possessions, simply consider what it is that you are doing with them to add value to others.

4.  DON’T LET PEOPLE OWN YOU

If you don’t plan out your life, someone else will and most likely, their agenda will be more about them than it will be about you.  Ultimately, you are in charge of your time.  If you feel like you are living by someone else’s schedule, it might be time to get a new calendar.

5.  DEFINE SUCCESS AS SOWING, NOT REAPING

Are you a producer or a consumer.  OK, I know what you are thinking … we are all consumers.  Agreed.  However, are you consuming more than you are producing?  If you continue to take more than you give, eventually there will be nothing left.  Give more than you take and there will always be some left over for when you need it.

6.  FOCUS ON SELF-DEVELOPMENT, NOT SELF-FULFILLMENT

We should strive to improve every day.  It has been said that the average adult reaches only ten percent of their potential during their lifetime.  That means that we are missing out on ninety percent of the opportunities available.  Is that really the legacy you want to leave behind?

7.  KEEP GROWING TO KEEP GIVING

Take a look at how you are spending your time every day.  Are you doing things that will help you grow?  Have you created a life that allows you to give when you want?  I think most people enjoy giving, but unless there is growth, the resources are simply not there to give.

So here we are – the end of the series on the 15 invaluable laws of growth.  I hope this has been beneficial to all of you and that you have different look on how important it is to take care of ourselves and create a foundation to live by that will make each day better than the last.  My final thought is this:

If you really want to grow, take a look at the people you are spending most of your time with and the books you are reading.  I can pretty much guarantee you that the influence of those two things will produce the environment that you find yourself in.  Is your environment  conducive to growing or will it keep you in hibernation?

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Barry Smith   www.buildingwhatmatters.com   1/16/13       photo by author