Introduction to My Personal Development Journey

Over the years, I’ve read countless self-help and personal development books. My journey started around 2013–2014 when I began listening to audiobooks on YouTube. The spark came during my undergrad when I was hunting for summer jobs on Kijiji. I landed an interview with World Financial Group, knowing little about them—and maybe that was a good thing. The people there were enthusiastic, energetic, well-dressed, and brimming with optimism about the future. I was hooked and joined their team.

I spent a year with them, earned no money, and sold exactly zero insurance products despite getting my LLQP license. But what I gained was invaluable. The office emphasized learning and honing salesmanship, which led me to a life-changing YouTube video: Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires by Brian Tracy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAGn_k1jHsY&t=24s). That moment opened the floodgates. I dove into books like The Compound Effect and The 4-Hour Workweek, and I soaked up wisdom from Brian Tracy, Jim Rohn, and other personal development giants. A decade later, I’m still at it, and I plan to keep going.

One thing I noticed about audiobooks is that retention is lower compared to reading a physical book. And reading a book, while powerful, offers less personal growth than writing one. So, I’m taking the leap—from listening to audiobooks, to reading, to now writing my own personal development book. I’m writing to an audience, but I picture an empty auditorium. If someone walks in and finds value in my words, that’s fantastic, but this is primarily for me.

After a decade of consuming personal development ideas, I’ve distilled my learnings into three core principles, or pillars, that form the backbone of this book:

1. Building Oneself

2. Building Relationships

3. Building Assets

These pillars, I’ve come to believe, are the foundation of a happy and fulfilled life. Money alone doesn’t bring happiness—there are plenty of miserable rich people to prove it. Having tons of relationships doesn’t guarantee it either; many extroverts with countless friends seem happy on the outside but struggle privately, some even battling depression or worse. Ultimately, developing oneself is the strongest predictor of happiness and fulfillment. Strong, grounded individuals—whether rich or poor, surrounded by friends or more solitary—tend to live happier, more fulfilled lives. Happiness is a choice, a decision, but an undeveloped person might not see that.

In this book, I’ll explore these pillars in order of importance. First, developing oneself, because that’s the core. Next, building strong relationships, since we’re social creatures. Finally, building assets, which is the least critical of the three for a fulfilled life. When you work on and maximize these three pillars, I believe you’re nearly guaranteed a life of happiness and fulfillment.