When I was first introduced to the idea of personal development, I had no idea what it was. In fact, I had no idea I was being introduced to it, at all. It was April 2, 2005 and I was sitting in a hotel conference room surrounded by over fifty entrepreneurs, like myself. I was in the room on the insistence of a dear friend. I thought I was just listening to the guest speaker discuss how I was going to expand my new business. Boy, how wrong I was.

During the lunch break, I had the honor of sitting at a table with the guest speaker. I was eagerly listening to him answer questions from other guests, when he decided to turn his attention to me. My friend introduced me to him, since she was a current client of his. In front of a large table full of both friends and strangers, the guest speaker looked me straight in the eyes and said, "You hide behind your laughter. You laugh when you are uncomfortable." There was complete silence, at least, in my mind there was. So naturally, I burst into laughter. The guest speaker never even smirked and said, "See what I mean." And with that, he turned to talk to someone else. I was mortified. But why? Why was I so embarrassed and angry at someone I didn’t even know? Instantly, I formed the opinion that I didn’t like him.

At the start of the afternoon session, I was still stewing. In the meantime, my friend was talking about how much she enjoyed the guest speaker. She couldn’t stop talking about his CD series and his other seminars. She had the nerve to suggest I attend his weekend seminar. What was she thinking? I couldn’t believe I stayed to hear what else he had to say.

And then it happened.

The guest speaker was asking the audience questions, when he focused on me. He asked me to sit up straight in my chair with my palms up and close my eyes. I complied, while laughing. With a stern voice, he told me to stop laughing. Now, I’m not only giggling, I’m as red as a beet. At this time, the guest speaker asks another audience member to assist him. The audience member touches my hands as the guest speaker is talking to me. I immediately pulled away from the audience member and said, while laughing, "Don’t sneak up on me like that." The guest speaker sternly said, "Focus and close your eyes."

To this day, I can not recall what the guest speaker said during the exercise or what the point of it was. What I can tell you is that I was crying by the time the exercise was over. I was in awe. How could that be? How could a complete stranger make me cry in front of a room full of people just by participating in a simple exercise? I didn’t understand the emotional reactions I was having. But, thankfully, my friend did. She kindly looked at me and said, "You need to attend his weekend seminar. Trust me. If your business is going to really succeed, you need personal development." With much hesitation, I gave in. I literally got sick to my stomach when I made the financial transaction on my credit card. I had never before spent four figures on a "gift" for myself. My friend, while smiling, said, "You are not going to regret this. You are so worth it."

What was my friend talking about….."personal development"…..I was "worth it"?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines personal development as the development of one’s capabilities or potentialities. That is short, sweet, and to the point. However, the definition is too simplistic for the actual journey one takes on the road of personal development. I use the words journey and road because personal development is a process; one that takes time. And, as my dear friend so eloquently put it: worth it; worth every twist, turn and fork in the road! Join me on my journey to capabilities and potentialities.