Improving yourself is a non-stop battle in life. If you don’t do it you don’t grow and miss potential successes that you may have in store for you. If you try to grow or are inspired by outside sources that are not true to your heart then you will follow a path that can feel empty and unfulfilling. If you spend your life doing things that you don’t like to do then you will end up without the passion and purposeful life that many of us want to lead. The problem is that many of us hope to be inspired by someone else and I have found for myself that self improvement can only come from within. There has to be something inside you ready to go, bursting, and ready to get out at the first opening available. Then when you meet someone or are introduced to someone that inspires you it is that spark that fuels the fire and propels you into action. In this article I hope to offer you four tips on how you can improve your life, business, or career.

As a high school dropout at the age of seventeen, a former truck driver, and now entrepreneur I have spent my whole life trying to live up to others. If I was in the company of someone with lots of education I never felt educated enough. If someone was making big money at their job I never felt like I could ever hit those heights of success in my job. If someone rejected me I often took it personally and felt I wasn’t good enough. That kept me always trying to be better within the realms I lived in at the time. What I didn’t know is that my passions were just below the surface always guiding me without my knowledge. I enjoyed what I did no matter how successful or not because passion was driving me, but because of my lack of education I didn’t know I was doing anything wrong. I was smart enough to just get started in something.

Tip 1-Use Your Passions in Life

I like to draw, write, and speak and use all of those passions in our businesses today. I have an art business drawing caricatures for clients and events. I write for magazines and have four books on the market, and I have two podcasts, television show, and do public speaking. I didn’t plan that career, but it stemmed from passions I had as a young boy. I started drawing at ten years old, I got my driver’s licence at sixteen, and was known as the loud mouth in my class. Sounds like training for the future to me.

Maeve Sharkey is a young entrepreneur who creates products out of old records and can theme them to your favourite songs from your life. As a singer Maeve has a passion for music and launched her business this summer incorporating her love of music and wearables. You can learn more about her on the Cashing in on Creativity Podcast in episode CC095.

Tip 2-Learn to Handle Rejection

Rejection is hard for anyone and many times we hear not to take things personally, but that is malarkey especially if you are a creative entrepreneur with work you’ve created. Knowing your self worth is the first step in being able to handle rejection better and be comfortable in what you do. In a recent discussion with rejection expert Andrea Waltz she suggested that trying to get people to reject you is the best way to improve your self image and possibly sales in your business. If you want to learn more check out my interview with Andrea on the podcast in episode CC094 of the Cashing in on Creativity Podcast.

Tip 3-Network with the Right People for You

“You are the average of the five people you hang out with!” This is a popular saying in business circles but if you are trying to inspire self improvement in yourself then the people you hang out with can be an important element of your success. Who you hang out with shouldn’t be about how much financial success people have or what social class they have. Who you hang out with should be more about how people make you feel, do you feel inspired to be better, and do they offer you the emotional support that you need to live a purposeful life. In CC096 we talk with three talented people about how they select a Mastermind Group or networking groups in general. How you select a group, who is in the group, and why you are part of the group are all important elements to decide who you hang out with for success.

Tip 4-Just Get Started

Although I am living a life of passion and purpose now doesn’t mean it isn’t a struggle or that I had it all planned out. When I started my trucking career I just needed a job and the driver at the moving company I worked for was making more money than I was as a helper lifting furniture. I had no idea it would a create a 30 year career and now a podcast business. I was told not to get into trucking, not to become an artist, and that all authors are broke. Forget to trying to figure out the end game for your career and just get started! You may not have the perfect job but if you are constantly trying to improve you will learn about yourself and like me that knowledge may be helpful in the future. On episode CC097 I chat with Kyle Outridge about his new podcast, why he decided to start this passionate project and where he hopes it will go.

There are many ways to improve yourself and September’s guests offer a ton of knowledge to help with your self improvement process. Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss an episode. http://cashinginoncreativitypodcast.com

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a creative entrepreneur, professional artist, author, speaker, and content producer. Bruce is the host of the Cashing in on Creativity Podcast, Inspiring Youth Television Show, and is an inspirational speaker for youth. You can learn more about Bruce at www.bruceoutridge.com