What does the term personal development mean?

I recently read that , although I could see what was meant I still wondered how they could believe it was ‘the’ key. It was only as God led me to look more deeply into the concept of personal/self development that I found that it’s truest meaning is not necessarily what we equate it with in today’s society.

• The business definition of personal development states that “it is the process of improving your skills and increasing the amount of experience that you have in your job”. This is an extremely functional and focused definition. (Cambridge Business English Dictionary)
• The personal excellence approach focuses on helping you define and identify the meaning of excellence and then helping you to achieve it in the desired part(s) of your life. Personal excellence is very much linked to tangible success in life areas such as work, relationships and even health.
• The self development approach, the Oxford English Dictionary defines self development as “the process by which a person’s character or abilities are gradually developed”. The focus of this approach is on developing innate qualities of the individual.

All three perspectives have been picked up by the personal development industry, due to a realisation that people have a desire to not only better themselves but to do so in a way that is fulfilling in purpose and value.

Yet even though personal development is important, taking course after course to improve your abilities, knowledge and even character is not enough to fill one with a deep sense of joy and peace. Man has a thirst for more, to experience more and to be more which can not be quenched by personal development courses. True personal development starts from a very deep place, the most ancient of places.