I never think about beauty when I'm working on a problem. I only think about how to solve it. But, finishing the work, I know that if the decision is ugly, then it is wrong.

R. Buckminster Fupper

Do you remember the moment when you first became interested personal development? I remember exactly. This happened in January 1991 - I was then in a prison cell. I was arrested for major theft. It wasn't my first encounter with the law, and I knew I was in serious trouble. I was only nineteen.

I started stealing shortly after I arrived in Berkeley, California, during my first semester at the University of California. I didn’t steal for my money or my reputation, but for the thrill. I was an adrenaline junkie. The compulsion to steal was so strong that shoplifting became a part of me. Everyday life like a morning cup of coffee. Usually I didn't care what to steal. I was attracted by the very act of theft. On a standard outing, I would take a dozen candies and then leave them somewhere in public place hoping that someone will eat them. I myself did not eat candy - I thought it was harmful.

Three days in prison, when I could only wallow in the quagmire of my own stupidity, became hell. All the horror of the real state of affairs fell upon me. At school, I was a full-time student, president of the math club and captain of the academic decathlon team. My student future - I was preparing to become a specialist in computer technology - seemed surprisingly bright, and I smashed it to smithereens with my own hands. I was to spend the next couple of years behind bars!

Returning to my apartment, I received a letter from the University of Berkeley, in which I was informed in no uncertain terms about the expulsion. This is usually done when a student does not appear in class, and his average grades fall below the plinth. At that moment, I realized that I had two options: either to grow up, or give up and go with the flow.

During the following months, while awaiting trial, I was in utter despondency. I slept until noon. He plunged into video games, sometimes sitting at the computer for eighteen hours a day (this is not about online games with a large number of participants, but about playing Nintendo). It's hard to live with the expectation that you are about to be sent to jail.

Finally, I hired a lawyer and met with him to discuss the situation. Before I could open my mouth, he blurted out, “Steve, I looked into your case. Since this your first offense, I am sure that I will be able to qualify it as petty theft. If we don’t dispute the charge, you will get off with the minimum community service penalty. I'm in good relationship with the district attorney and I think he'll do it. I do not recommend contradicting the accusation, he has enough evidence - you were caught red-handed. "

My head started spinning: “The first offense? Was he misled? Why does he think that I was detained for the first time? Or does he know nothing about previous drives? If he thinks that this is my first offense, do not they think the same in court? Should I report the bug to him? "

While I was trying to figure out what to do, an inner voice said: "Fool, shut your mouth and shut up!" I realized that by honestly telling everything, I would get myself in trouble in the future, although there was a chance that recognition would benefit me. I realized that in the worst case, I would someday have to face an angry lawyer, and from better option development of events it was a sin to refuse. Major theft is a serious crime, petty is just a minor offense. I decided to take a chance and keep silent. Risk was generally my hobby.

A few weeks later there was a trial. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. My plan was as follows: keep my mouth shut as much as possible and speak only when someone asks me about something. Before entering the courtroom, I looked through the documents on my case. None of my previous detentions were mentioned there. Was there a human error or a computer error? In any case, it played into my hands.

Of course, when my lawyer and I entered the courtroom, the court was confident that this was my first offense, and considered it in this capacity. I didn’t dispute the petty theft charge and received sixty hours of community service. When I jumped out of the court, my head was spinning with happiness. The next two years of my life were mine again!

I spent those sixty hours as if it were my dream job, because I knew too well what threatened me: I could lose seventeen thousand five hundred and twenty hours of my life. It is hard to imagine a more joyful time than what I spent collecting trash in Emeryville. You have no idea how wonderful freedom is until you realize that you can lose it. I was immensely grateful to fate for the chance that fell to me, which I did not deserve at all.

I would like to say that my recovery from these events was quick and easy, but it was not. Despite the amazing gift of fate, it turned out to be incredibly difficult to get your life back on track. Saying goodbye to friends in Berkeley, I returned to my native Los Angeles and got a job in a store. Even with a criminal record, I could have found a better job, but I didn't want anything. I just wanted security. I wanted to live without attracting attention to myself, without any stress and excitement. Courage has become my enemy.

The whole year of a calm, quiet life, I worked on myself. And gradually he developed a code of ethics for himself, including such values ​​as honor, honesty, decency, modesty and conscientiousness. This deliberate process of personality restructuring continued for several years. After a while, I felt that it was time to return to the university. It seemed to me that if I could get a degree in programming, it would somehow atone for my past mistakes.

In the fall of 1992, I entered my first year at California State University Northridge (CSUN). There were a lot of free places in the groups wishing to study electronics. I got the opportunity to attend classes, and no one cared that I was once expelled from Berkeley. At twenty-one, I became a different person - not the same as at eighteen. A lot has changed. I developed a passion for personal growth, and I felt a strong desire to do my best for this.

It seemed to me that I had lost three years, and could not come to terms with the idea that I would have to spend four more years studying. I knew that I myself was to blame for everything, but I really wanted to speed up the course of events. So I set myself an ambitious goal: to get a degree in three semesters, taking on a triple study load. People who knew me thought I was crazy, but they could not look into my soul. I completely and completely focused on my goal and knew that nothing could stop me on the way to it. It was the only way deserve that awesome gift I received: freedom.

In order to work with full dedication, I studied time management techniques and immediately put them into practice. I listened to motivational tapes daily to maintain a positive attitude. I trained to deal with stress and found exceptionally good way increase your productivity. I experienced an incredible surge of energy and strength because I knew that I was doing my best. I worked hard, passed exams with excellent marks and even chose a second specialization for myself - mathematics. At the graduation ceremony, I received a special prize as the best student of the year in my main specialty.

Steve Pavlina is one of the most renowned self-development experts in both the United States and Russia. Over the years, he studied the literature on personal growth and came to the conclusion that there is currently no truly effective approach. Methods for spiritual development many, and they all contradict each other. Trying to put these ideas into practice, Steve received only a rambling jumble of views. Taking this problem seriously, he found a "general scheme" behind all attempts at personal growth, and created his own - universal! - method.

This method consists in using seven universal principles that allow you to reveal the unvarnished truth about your inner qualities. The reader is invited to analyze in detail his ideas and beliefs in each area of ​​life (family, career, health, relationships, spirituality), and then apply simple exercises in order to change them for the better. Stories from the life of the author and valuable practical advice will help you understand how these principles work, will allow you to succeed in business, family, sports, and become a truly happy person.

Steve Pavlina's book is for those who really want to “live” and not “survive”, who want to know life from different angles and change their habits and beliefs once and for all!

On our website you can download the book "Personal development course for smart people. Master class from a recognized specialist" Steve Pavlina for free and without registration in fb2, rtf, epub, pdf, txt format, read the book online or buy a book on the Internet store.

Personal growth for smart people is a phrase I use to describe my approach to personal growth. Instead of picking low-hanging fruits and doing simple tasks like choosing healthy food or making money more money I wanted to answer a really difficult question: What does it mean for us to grow as a conscientious person, and how intelligently are we leading this process?

Introduction

“When I work on a problem, I never think about beauty. I only think about solving the problem. But after graduation, if the solution is not beautiful, I know that it is not correct. "

Richard Buckminster FULLER

Do you remember the first time you got interested in personal development? I definitely remember. It was in January 1991 when I was in a prison cell. I was only arrested for theft on a large scale. This was not my first time with the law, so I knew I was in trouble. I was 19 years old.

I started stealing after moving to Berkeley, California, during my first semester at UC Berkeley. I didn't steal for money or reputation, I stole for the thrill. I'm addicted to the adrenaline rush. The urge to steal was so strong that shoplifting became part of the routine, no more than an espresso every day. Usually I didn't care what to steal, I was attracted to the act itself. On a typical walk, I would steal a dozen chocolate bars and then leave them in a public place, believing that someone would eat them. I didn't eat candy because I thought it was unhealthy food.

While I was in jail for a few days in January, doing nothing other than basking in my own stupidity, the reality of the situation I was in came crashing down on me. At school, I was an excellent student, president of the math club, and captain of the Academic Decathlon team. My future in computer science as a whole looked incredibly bright, but somehow I tore it to pieces. Now I was planning, to spend next year or two behind bars.

Upon returning to my apartment after three days in prison, I received a letter from the university informing in no uncertain terms about the expulsion. Apparently schools are doing this kind of thing if you don't show up in class and your GPA starts with a decimal point. At that moment, I realized that there are two main options for how to act in such a situation: grow up or give up.

For the next several months, while awaiting trial, I was in complete panic. Almost every day I woke up in the afternoon. I played video games all day long, sometimes for 18 hours. These are single player NINTENDO games, not multiplayer online games. It's hard to feel motivated when you expect to go to jail for a while.

In the end, I was provided with a lawyer and I met with him at his office to discuss my situation. Before I could open my mouth, he said, “Steve, I have reviewed the case, and since this is your first crime, I’m sure we can get it classified as petty theft. If you plead guilty, you will receive a reduced conviction and end up with community service. I know the District Attorney very well, and I'm sure he'll do it. I am strongly against the proceedings in court, as the evidence against you is undeniable, you were caught red-handed. "

Immediately my thoughts began to move. First crime? Does he confuse me? Why does he think this is my first crime? Does he know about past crimes? If he thinks this is the first crime, will others in court think the same? Should I clarify his serious error?

While I was deciding how to answer, I heard a voice in my head: Keep your mouth shut! I AM realized that if I said now, it could have negative consequences later, but there was also little hope that the consequences would be positive. I realized that at worst, the lawyer would be very angry at the end, but at best, everything was too good to get through. Major theft is a felony; petty theft is only petty crime. I decided that I had to take the risk. Taking risks was an all too familiar pastime.

A few weeks later we went to court and I was terribly nervous. My plan was to keep my mouth shut as much as possible and say as little as possible. Outside the courtroom, I went through the documents on my case. None of my past transgressions have been listed. Was it human or computer error? Anyway, this was one big mistake in my favor.

Of course, when my lawyer and I entered the courtroom, the court was sure that this was the first crime and the process proceeded accordingly. I pleaded guilty, and did not object to the softening of the category for petty theft, having received 60 hours of community service. My head was spinning as I popped out of the courtroom. The next two years of my life were mine again.

I worked those 60 hours as if it were my dream job, knowing that my punishment could be 17,520 hours. It’s hard to remember a happier time in my life than the days I spent picking up rubbish in EMERYVILLE MARINA. You have no idea how wonderful freedom seems when you know you can lose it. I felt immensely grateful for the second chance I received, which I didn't seem to deserve.

I would like to say that my recovery from these events was quick and easy, but it was not. Despite this amazing gift, it was incredibly difficult to turn your life around. I said goodbye to my friends from Berkeley and moved back to my native Los Angeles. I took a job in retail with minimal wages... Even with a criminal record, I could hardly have found a more lucrative position, but I just didn't want to. I just wanted to play without risk, stay below the radar, dragging out a "vanilla" life, devoid of stress and excitement. Courage has now become my enemy.

For a year of quiet and quiet life, I worked on myself. Gradually, I developed a new code of ethics that guided me, integrating values ​​such as honor, decency, honesty, humility and fairness. This conscious recovery process was to continue for at least a few more years. As the months passed, I began to feel that I was getting better, and I decided it was time to get back to school. I figured that if I got a computer science education, it would somehow erase my past mistakes.

In the fall of 1992, I entered California State University Northridge (CSUN), starting as a freshman. At CSUN, the Computer Science program was not overcrowded, which meant there was plenty of room for new students. I was guaranteed admission even if I just filled out the application form, so they didn't care if I failed at the University of Berkeley. Now at 21, I was not the same as at 18. Something has changed. I developed a passion for personal growth, and felt a strong desire this time to do my best.

In my opinion, I was already three years behind, and could not accept the fact that it would take me four more years to finish my studies. I knew that I myself was responsible for this situation, and really wanted to speed up the process. Therefore, I set an ambitious goal of getting an education in three semesters, taking on a triple load. My friends thought that I was crazy, but they could not look into my heart. I was 100% committed to my goal and knew that nothing could stop me from achieving my goal. It was the only way to honor the immense gift of freedom.

To prepare myself for the bulk of the work, I learned time management techniques and immediately applied the new knowledge. I listened to cassette tapes of motivation courses every day to maintain a positive attitude. I trained daily to deal with stress and found creative ways to increase my productivity. I felt a huge flow of energy and drive, because I knew that I was doing everything to the limit of my capabilities. I worked hard and did a great job. I even doubled my math workload again. When I graduated, I received a special award as the best computer science student of the year.

In the last semester, I worked as a contract programmer, was engaged in the development computer games for a local game studio, I also served as vice chairman of the school computer club. It took a lot of hard work and conscious effort, but I successfully achieved my goal of completing college in three semesters. In some way, this achievement helped me free myself from the pain and guilt of the past, while gaining valuable lessons.

In the next few months after graduation, I started my own business of developing computer games and met my future wife, however, personal growth remained my top priority. Little did I know at the time that this was just the beginning of the pursuit of conscious growth throughout my life. Over the next few years, I read hundreds of books and listened to dozens of audio programs on personality development in a variety of fields, including psychology, motivation, success, productivity, career development, problem solving, health, wealth, conscious lifestyles, spirituality. meditation and much more.

True, most of the information was useless. The authors were enthusiastic, but more often than not, their ideas were unoriginal, inconsistent, inappropriate, unfinished, impractical, or simply wrong. I suspected that many were exaggerating their results. If you are an avid reader of such literature, I am sure that you have faced similar problems, like buying a diet book, you find that it is nothing more than a hidden trick of selling an expensive supplement. However, I came across some nuggets of wisdom that gave me new ideas and helped improve my life. However, the greatest discoveries I found in personal experience rather than information products.

I have been playing computer games for many years (sometimes successfully, sometimes not), while maintaining a passionate interest in personal development. But as time went on, I lost interest in creating games, and running this business ceased to satisfy me. I decided it was time to turn my personal development hobby into my main career.

Although I didn't have any authority on personality development when I started out, the StevePavlina page. honeycomb has amassed huge traffic, quickly becoming the world's most popular personal development resource, with readers from over 150 countries. This is due to the fact that after benefitting from free content, people communicated to their friends, family and work colleagues. I haven't spent a dime on marketing and promotion. Soon, the site was generating tens of thousands of dollars a month, even though I had no products, no employees, and no customers. This attracted even more visitors as people wanted to know how I could make so much money by providing all the content for free. All free content is still available on the site today, with monthly top-ups.

Maintained by StevePavlina. honeycomb on a massive scale, greatly advanced my knowledge of personal growth because I was able to communicate with a large number of people about their unique problems. After thousands of interactions with readers, I began to discover recurring patterns and themes. I also noticed that when I wrote an article on a specific topic, often someone took a general concept from it, and found a way to apply it in a completely different field. For example, if I wrote about a dream, someone would think of how the same general recommendations can be applied to their business. I began to suspect that there was some hidden order behind our seemingly chaotic growth of experience.

Personal growth for smart people this is the phrase I use to describe my approach to personal growth. Rather than picking low-hanging fruit and tackling simple tasks like choosing a healthier diet or making more money, I wanted to answer a really difficult question: What does it mean for us to grow as a conscious person, and how smart are we leading the process?

For me, in my life, there were two lines of solution to this issue. The first line is my obsession with the concept of long-term research. The second line is my direct research in the field of personality development.

While I was getting my degree in computer science, I majored in artificial intelligence. I learned how difficult it is to create intelligent computer programs, mainly because we don't really understand intelligence yet. We implemented basic AI techniques in some of my early computer games, but these programs only mimicked intelligent behavior and could not be considered truly intelligent. Soon I asked myself: How do I know that I myself am intelligent? I AM couldn't find an answer that would satisfy me. In the end, my pursuit of personal development led me to accept a new definition of the concept of intelligence, which satisfied both my logic and intuition. You will learn about this definition in Chapter 7.

Having studied personal development over the years, I have learned that this area is very broad and fragmented. Any area of ​​your life can be intelligently considered in terms of self-improvement, including your health, career, finances, relationships, and spiritual beliefs. Each of these areas has its own narrowly focused specialists, they all share different ideas, rules and recommendations. Relationship experts teach how to maintain successful relationships, enrichment experts teach how to manage money, and health experts help improve the body.

Unfortunately, these experts often disagree with each other. Some recommend a protein diet, others recommend a high carbohydrate diet. Some say that success can be achieved through hard work and self-discipline; others recommend relaxing and letting God or the universe take care of the details. Some experts are pushing you to change, while others say you should accept yourself, whoever you are. If you try to apply all of these diverse ideas in your life, you will end up in a fragmented, incompatible mess.

I soon realized that an intellectual approach to personality development must resolve these incompatibilities, one way or another. Such an approach would provide a logical and intuitive meaning that satisfies both the head and the heart. I would have to appear logically correct in order to satisfy the left brain hemisphere, and create a sense of intuitive correctness in order to occupy the right hemisphere.

The laws of physics are universal. While their specific applications can vary greatly, these governing laws do not change regardless of our location, our culture, or our mood; the basic principles are the same whether we are dealing with missiles or submarines. Why should the area of ​​personal development be any different? Couldn't there be universal laws of consciousness here?

I decided to tackle this problem with my head, something that no one has ever done. I set out to find a common pattern behind all successful growth attempts to define a complete set of core principles that would be universally applicable. To determine what this set of principles should look like, I have developed a set of criteria that should satisfy the end result. These criteria include: universality, completeness, irreducibility, consistency and practicality:

First, these principles must be universal. They should be applicable by anyone, anywhere, in any situation. They should work equally well in all areas of life: health, relationships, career, spiritual growth, and so on. They have to exist outside of the time frame, which means they should work 1000 years later, and they would have worked 1000 years ago. They shouldn't be culturally attached. They should work for everyone on Earth, as well as for those on board the space station in orbit. They must work both individually and collectively, and must be equally effective for any group, of any size.

Second, these principles must be complete in combination, so that all the essential elements are present. It needs to be possible to trace these principles as the basis for all other effective universal laws of personal growth. Ideally, these principles should be both simple and elegant in structure.

Third, these principles should be irreducible / simple, similar to prime numbers in mathematics. They should act as the basic building blocks of the atoms of conscious human growth. Therefore, it should be possible to combine two or more primary principles to form secondary principles, and as a result, the combinations should be essentially logical and universally applicable.

Fourth, these principles must be internally congruent / compatible. They cannot conflict with each other. They should be intuitive and logical.

Finally, these principles should be practical. They must be able to generate reasonable results for the real world. It should be possible to use these ideas to diagnose developmental problems and develop effective solutions... Knowing them should accelerate your personal growth, and not vice versa.

Consider the statement "Love your neighbor as yourself." This concept can help many people on the path to personal growth, but, unfortunately, it conflicts with most of our criteria, so we cannot accept it as part of our structure. First, the concept is not universal. It is applicable to some areas of life, such as relationships and even business, but there is no point in trying to apply it to improve physical health. Second, it is not irreducible. This statement actually follows from more general principle unity, and unity itself flows from the principles of truth and love (see Chapter 4).

Taken in isolation, this statement is incomplete / incomplete and therefore provides only partial guidance. “Love your neighbor as yourself” is a logical recommendation that can help you improve interpersonal relationships, but it is unlikely to help you pay bills. There are many similar concepts that have positive implications, but which we cannot fit into our basic framework because they do not satisfy all of our criteria.

The search for a hidden order, behind all the processes of conscious development of a person, is an extremely difficult task, since the solution must be sufficiently general and abstract, and it must also have wide practical application. Since we are dealing with the realm of pure conscious thinking, the solution will not be as clear as a mathematical formula, but it should be as close to such an ideal as possible.

I have researched various philosophical, psychological and spiritual foundations that have previously tried to solve this problem. Some of them have clearly defined one or more basic concepts, but none have provided a satisfactory explanation for the big picture. I strained my brain over and over, wondering: What does the base model look like? Clues were everywhere, but the final structure remained a mystery.

The task seemed almost impossible, and there was no guarantee that the answer existed. I have rejected countless partial solutions. I was very frustrated by the moments when I found a solution that seemed good at first glance, but later found many gaps in it.

It took almost two and a half years, but I found the solution I was looking for. It consists of three primary principles: truth, love and strength. Four secondary principles follow directly from the first three: unity, authority, courage and intelligence. Unity is truth plus love. Authority is truth plus strength. Courage is love plus strength. Intelligence is the totality of truth, love and power. Therefore, we can say that the intellectual approach, the "smart people approach" to personality development is the direction that will lead you to agree on the following principles: truth, love and strength. In Chapter 7, you will learn a very elegant definition of intelligence: Intelligence is the alignment of the principles of truth, love and power.

Don't worry if you don't already understand these principles. We'll spend a chapter to study each of them, and several additional sections will be devoted to their practical application. When you study these seven principles and know how they work in all areas of your life, you will never look at the process of personality development in the old way again.

Some of these principles seem sound at first glance. The principle of truth / truth is intuitively understood by any scientist. The principle of love is common to all major religions. And the principle of strength is constantly manifested in business and power. Unfortunately, our society, as a rule, tries to share these principles. We are taught to respect the truth while studying in early age, while our strength is diminishing under the external influence of powerful figures. We are encouraged to be guided by love in relationships and spiritual practice while neglecting truth and authority. We are placed in a situation where we are forced to strive for power / power while we build our careers and try to improve our financial condition, while truthfulness and love remain in the background in these areas. This is a huge mistake. These principles are universal, they cannot be successfully separated without sacrificing something much more important - our true nature of conscious beings.

The purpose of this book is to teach you how to align all areas of life with universal principles. It will require injecting truth into your relationship, aligning your career with love, and injecting strength into your spiritual practice. This is what it means to live like a conscious, intelligent person. The more your life conforms to these principles, the smarter you become.

This book offers you a new way of thinking about personal growth, from high concepts to practical action... You don't need a variety of rules to maintain health, build a career, and care for relationships. The basic principles of growth do not change, regardless of the area of ​​life or the person to which they apply. Once you understand how they work, you can use them to improve your results in any endeavor.

This book is in two parts. Part I examines the seven basic principles of personal development, starting with the three primary principles of truth, love, and strength. By mastering these fundamentals, you will create a solid foundation for improving your growth efforts in all areas of life. The purpose of reading this part of the book is simply to get an idea of ​​these seven principles. There are several recommended exercises to deepen your understanding, but you don't need to do them right away. These exercises are primarily intended to illustrate how ideas can be applied in action. Since some of these principles build on the preceding ones, it is best to read the first seven chapters in order.

Part II is practical application sections. This half of the book explains how to apply the seven principles to achieve positive, practical results in your life. Each section looks at a different area of ​​life, including career, health, relationships, and more. You can read these sections in any order and skip straight to the section that interests you the most. However, it is best if you first read all the chapters of Part I (1-7), before Part II (8-13).

If you want to additional help, or would you just like to study personality development with a similar thinking people, don't forget to use the forum "Personal development for smart people" on the www. StevePavlina.com/forums. There you will find a welcoming and friendly community of thousands of people from all over the world interested in personal growth. The forums are completely free, so there are no barriers to participation.

By the way, several internet pages will be mentioned throughout this book, offering you additional free content at StevePavlina.com. Rest assured that this book is complete in itself. These web pages are offered as additional resources, as are the forums mentioned above. If for some reason you do not have Internet access at home or at work, please note that most public libraries provide Internet access free of charge.

My message to you as you read this book is threefold. First, in accordance with the principle of truth, I will be honest and direct with you. I am not interested in filling your heads with false concepts and misleading you. Secondly, in accordance with the principle of love, I will try my best to connect with you as person to person. I am here as a friend and advisor, not a guru. Finally, in accordance with the principle of power / authority, I intend to help you know your true strength and face your fears. Sometimes it means that I will encourage and support, at other times it means that I will challenge you. It won't be easy to apply what you learn in this book. It was not easy for me either. Real, conscious growth is rarely undemanding, but it is always worth the effort.

Let's begin the journey into conscious personal growth.

Steve Pavlina

Personal development for smart people

Introduction

“When I work on a problem, I never think about beauty. I only think about solving the problem. But after graduation, if the solution is not beautiful, I know that it is not correct. "

Richard Buckminster FULLER

Do you remember the first time you got interested in personal development? I AM definitely remember. It was in January 1991 when I was in a prison cell. I was only arrested for theft on a large scale. This was not my first time with the law, so I knew I was in trouble. I was 19 years old.

I AM started stealing after moving to Berkeley, California, during his first semester at the University of California, Berkeley. I AM I didn't steal for money or reputation, I stole for the thrill. I AM addicted to the adrenaline rush. The urge to steal was so strong that shoplifting became part of the routine, no more than an espresso every day. Usually I didn't care what to steal, I was attracted to the act itself. On a typical walk, I would steal a dozen chocolate bars and then leave them in a public place, believing that someone would eat them. I AM didn’t eat candy because he considered it unhealthy.

While I was in jail for a few days in January, doing nothing other than basking in my own stupidity, the reality of the situation I was in came crashing down on me. At school, I was an excellent student, president of the math club, and captain of the Academic Decathlon team. My future in computer science as a whole looked incredibly bright, but somehow I tore it to pieces. Now I was planning to spend the next year or two behind bars.

Upon returning to my apartment after three days in prison, I received a letter from the university informing in no uncertain terms about the expulsion. Apparently schools are doing this kind of thing if you don't show up in class and your GPA starts with a decimal point. At that moment, I realized that there are two main options for how to act in such a situation: grow up or give up.

For the next several months, while awaiting trial, I was in complete panic. Almost every day I woke up in the afternoon. I AM played video games for days on end, sometimes for 18 hours. These are single player NINTENDO games, not multiplayer online games. It's hard to feel motivated when you expect to go to jail for a while.

In the end, I was provided with a lawyer and I met with him at his office to discuss my situation. Before I could open my mouth, he said, “Steve, I have reviewed the case, and since this is your first crime, I’m sure we can get it classified as petty theft. If you plead guilty, you will receive a reduced conviction and end up with community service. I AM knows the district attorney very well, and I'm sure he'll do it. I AM strongly against the proceedings in court, as the evidence against you is indisputable, you were caught red-handed. "

Immediately my thoughts began to move. First crime? Does he confuse me? Why does he think this is my first crime? Does he know about past crimes? If he thinks this is the first crime, will others in court think the same? Should I clarify his serious error?

While I was deciding how to answer, I heard a voice in my head: Keep your mouth shut! I AM realized that if I said now, it could have negative consequences later, but there was also little hope that the consequences would be positive. I AM realized that in the worst case, the lawyer would be very angry in the end, but at the best it was too good to get through. Major theft is a felony; petty theft is only petty crime. I AM decided that he should take the risk. Taking risks was an all too familiar pastime.

A few weeks later we went to court and I was terribly nervous. My plan was to keep my mouth shut as much as possible and say as little as possible. Outside the courtroom, I went through the documents on my case. None of my past transgressions have been listed. Was it human or computer error? Anyway, this was one big mistake in my favor.

Of course, when my lawyer and I entered the courtroom, the court was sure that this was the first crime and the process proceeded accordingly. I AM pleaded guilty, and did not object to the mitigation of the category for petty theft, having received 60 hours of community service. My head was spinning as I popped out of the courtroom. The next two years of my life were mine again.

I AM worked those 60 hours as if it were my dream job, knowing that my punishment could be 17520 hours. It’s hard to remember a happier time in my life than the days I spent picking up rubbish in EMERYVILLE MARINA. You have no idea how wonderful freedom seems when you know you can lose it. I AM felt immense gratitude for the second chance I received, which I didn’t seem to deserve.

I would like to say that my recovery from these events was quick and easy, but it was not. Despite this amazing gift, it was incredibly difficult to turn your life around. I AM said goodbye to his friends from Berkeley and moved back to his native Los Angeles. I AM got a minimum wage retail job. Even with a criminal record, I could hardly have found a more lucrative position, but I just didn't want to. I AM I just wanted to play without risk, stay below the radar, dragging out a "vanilla" life, devoid of stress and excitement. Courage has now become my enemy.

For a year of quiet and calm life, I worked on myself. Gradually, I developed a new code of ethics that guided me, integrating values ​​such as honor, decency, honesty, humility and fairness. This conscious recovery process was to continue for at least a few more years. As the months passed, I began to feel that I was getting better, and I decided it was time to get back to school. I AM felt that if I got a computer science education, it would somehow erase my past mistakes.

In the fall of 1992, I entered California State University Northridge (CSUN), starting as a freshman. At CSUN, the Computer Science program was not overcrowded, which meant there was plenty of room for new students. I was guaranteed admission even if I just filled out the application form, so they didn't care if I failed at the University of Berkeley. Now at 21, I was not the same as at 18. Something has changed. I AM developed a passion for personal growth, and felt a strong desire this time to do everything he could.

In my opinion, I was already three years behind, and could not accept the fact that it would take me four more years to finish my studies. I AM knew that he himself was responsible for this situation, and really wanted to speed up the process. Therefore, I set an ambitious goal of getting an education in three semesters, taking on a triple load. My friends thought that I was crazy, but they could not look into my heart. I AM was 100% committed to my goal, and knew that nothing could stop me on the way to achieving my goal. It was the only way to honor the immense gift of freedom.

To prepare myself for the bulk of the work, I learned time management techniques and immediately applied the new knowledge. I AM listened to cassette tapes of motivation courses every day to maintain a positive attitude. I AM trained daily to deal with stress, and found creative methods to increase productivity. I AM I felt a huge flow of energy and drive, because I knew that I was doing everything to the limit of my capabilities. I AM worked hard and did a great job. I AM even doubled my math load again. When I graduated, I received a special award as the best computer science student of the year.

In the last semester, I worked as a contract programmer, was engaged in the development of computer games for a local game studio, and I also took the place of deputy chairman of the school computer club. It took a lot of hard work and conscious effort, but I successfully achieved my goal of completing college in three semesters. In some way, this achievement helped me free myself from the pain and guilt of the past, while gaining valuable lessons.

The book by an American expert on personal growth and self-development Steve Pavlin's "Personal Development" for those who are looking for their own way, looking for themselves in life. This work is universal and suits absolutely every person who is looking for his vocation.

What will help to develop

• Seek the truth with open eyes.
• Feel free to accept your discoveries and their consequences.
• Rid your life of lies, denial and fear.
• Personal relationships can be the richest source of spiritual growth.
• Spending too much time alone can make you lose touch with reality!
• If you want to make a lot of money, you must create significant social values... The more you produce them, the more money you can get. It is a mutually beneficial worldview as you put value into the system while benefiting others.

Are you aware of the fact that you, too, have an impact on everyone with whom you deal? By our example, we teach others how to live.

When you are in an intimate relationship, remember that your partner is not your property... Don't cling to people so tightly as to make it impossible for them to contact someone else besides you.

The best thing you can do to empower other people is get strong... You will be of much greater benefit to those around you if you follow this principle. Weakening yourself will not help anyone. For the whole body to be strong, individual cells must take good care of themselves.

If you are in need of a new relationship, do not wait for people to come to you. Take the lead. Prolonged waiting is fraught with many missed opportunities and leads to disappointment!

Employment

Probably the most common way to make money is selling your time... You get a job and trade your watch for dollars. The higher your ability to create something socially significant, the more you can earn.

The difference between earning twenty-five and two hundred and fifty dollars is that the second job has much more social value!

1. To make a career satisfying, you cannot just walk like a blind man along the path that others have chosen. Don't compromise. If you realize that you are moving along the path without a heart, leave it as quickly as possible.
2. Try to avoid a common mistake and don't hold on to a career that robs you of your strength. If your contribution is not appreciated or respected, get up and leave. Go where your talents will be recognized. Otherwise, you will simply continue to humiliate yourself.
3. You are solely responsible for the development of your career, so it makes sense to do what you like, and not be content with what you do not like. Your current position is the result of your previous decisions, and if it does not suit you, remember that you are always free to make a new choice... The only one who can prevent you from doing this is yourself.
4. Your career is your business. At a basic level it's just what you spend your time on... Of course, if you are going to live with awareness, this choice becomes very important.

Personal effectiveness

Highlight exact time for work over a separate task or habit. One single hour a day can give you in a year more healthy body, a finished book, or a lucrative internet site.

1. Daily goals. Set goals in advance for each day. Decide what you will do and then do it. Without a clear focus, we are too easily distracted.
2. The most unpleasant thing is first of all. To avoid procrastination, learn to tackle the most frustrating problems first. Deal with them in the morning without delaying until the evening. This small victory will set the tone for the day.
3. Peak productivity. Determine when you peak in productivity, and plan the most important things for this period. Do less important things at other times.
4. Communication-free zones. Set aside untouchable periods of time for specific work.

If you know exactly what you want, don't be content with something else. Take for granted that success takes time perhaps more than you desired. Let go of a mindset of quick and easy, for no reason, and so on. Roll up your sleeves, work hard, and know that your efforts will pay off in the long run as you learn and grow.

Take a look around and see the results you have achieved so far. Life is just doing your commands. If you want different results, you must give other orders. You are the only one who has the power to make decisions. No one but you can become the leader of your life.

Set a daily minimum for your productivity in a given activity. It makes constant progress and is fantastic. effective way developing self-discipline.

Use of time

Time is not a resource at our disposal. We cannot waste time. It doesn't matter what you do and what you don’t do, time goes on as usual. You have no choice - to spend time or not. Your only choice is where to focus your attention at the moment.

• Your choice is made only by you, and no one can dictate it to you. Never make excuses for what you want. You want what you want and that's enough.
• If you want results, go and achieve them yourself. Taking responsibility for your life means being willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve your desired goal.
• Nobody will come to save you. No one will build your dream career for you, no one will solve your problems in personal relationships. No one will remove excess fat from your body. If you don't actively solve your problems, they will never be solved.

If you try to refuse or evade the burden of responsibility, then after a while it will still fall on your shoulders. You allowed yourself to weaken your zeal in career affairs, began to eat large quantities of fast food and quarrel with loved ones - which means that you create troubles that you in any case you will have to experience... The sooner you realize that total responsibility is inevitable, the better it will be for you.

When your strength is insufficient, you cannot effectively meet your own needs and desires and become a victim environment... When your power is great, you arrange life as you choose, and the environment becomes a reflection of it.