Personal growth doesn’t necessarily only happen when the conditions are perfect. Seeds tend to develop only when conditions are right. A seed will remain dormant (休眠) until moisture (湿度) and temperature are favorable for growth. Unfortunately, as humans, we don’t always have the luxury of growing when conditions are just right. Sometimes you must cultivate (培育) personal growth and flower where you’re planted, often in spite of external circumstances.

For much of my life, I let external circumstances control my happiness. If things weren’t going well, then I wasn’t well. I told myself that I would be happier if conditions were right. With this mindset, I gave myself permission to stay emotionally dormant. I was waiting for things around me to change before I would do the work to become a better version of myself. In other words. I made my personal growth conditional on external circumstances.

The problem with waiting for change outside of yourself is that you might have to wait a very long time, maybe even forever. And if you stay dormant while waiting, you aren’t growing. You’re simply stuck in place. You certainly aren’t becoming the better version of yourself that you want to be.

If you want to engage in personal growth, like planting seeds, you have to do some work to make it happen. You can’t wait around for everything to fall into place. Start with pulling up your emotional weeds. Examine yourself and remove the pessimistic thoughts and behaviors that are holding you back. Then, work on the foundation that you have. Practice positive life habits that build your self-respect and happiness.

Personal growth is something you can fight for. It may not come naturally, but when you develop this mindset, you will flower no matter where you’re planted.

Jerry was always in a good mood and had something positive to say. If someone was having a bad day, Jerry would tell them how to look on the positive side of the situation.

One day, I asked him, “I don’t get it! How can you be positive all the time?”

Jerry replied, “Each morning, I say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood.” Several years later, I heard that Jerry was shot by three robbers (抢劫者). Luckily, Jerry was found quickly and rushed to the local hospital.

I asked him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. Jerry replied. “Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.”

“Weren’t you scared?” I asked. “Yes, I got really scared when I saw the expressions on the face of the doctors.” “What did you do?” I asked.

“Well, when a nurse asked if I was allergic (过敏的) to anything, I shouted, bullets! (子弹)”

“Then they laughed, I told them, ‘I am choosing to live. Operate on me if I am alive, not dead’”

Thanks to the skill of his doctors, Jerry was saved, but also because of his amazing attitude. Attitude after all, is everything.

When I was about 10，I was walking down the street with my Mother. She stopped to speak to Mr Lee. I knew I could see Mr Lee anytime around the neighborhood so I just stood there.

After we passed him，my mother stopped and said something unforgettable，“You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody you know without opening your mouth to speak，because even a dog canwag its tail when it passes you on the street.” That sentence sounded simple but it made me become who I am. At work，I used to say hello to the president of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people in the cafe and people who cleaned the buildings，and asked them how their children were doing，for every single person deserves to be acceptedno matter how humble(卑微的) they are.I remember that after a few years of passing by the president，I had the courage to ask him for a chat. We had a great talk. At some point，when I asked him how far he thought I could go in his company，he said that if I wanted to，I could get all the way to his seat. I’ve become vice-president，but that hasn’t changed how I treat people. I speak to people wherever I am. Speaking to people creates a pathway into their world，and it lets them come into mine，too.

The day you speak to someone who has his head down and then see him lift it up and smile，you will realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say hello.