Personal Development: A Six Principles Anthology Book

Personal Development: A Six Principles Anthology Book by Charlie Botting is one of the books in our Six Principle Anthology series which share blog stories written by Trails to Empowerment community members, guests, volunteers and students. Focusing on one of the Six Principles, Personal Development, this book shares stories about the skills and mindsets we learn while living a wilderness lifestyle, these are the ways we clarify our interests, goals and purpose.

All of our Six Principles are a holistic concept as each principle is essential for every other principle. With Personal Development, we feel empowered when we learn new skills, making us want to take on bigger personal development challenges next time. The more we learn, the more conscious and aware we become of ourselves, other people and the natural environment. When we learn new skills, we are better able to connect to nature and contribute to conservation as we have the skills to go into the backcountry safely.

In the Trails to Empowerment community, we learn by doing, such as shoeing and packing horses, leading trail rides, learning to use the chainsaw or cooking for a large group, after a theoretical introduction which is our investment in ourselves before someone else invests in us to teach the skill. Living in a wilderness environment, choices have clear consequences, for example if we don’t split enough wood, the house will be cold, if we don’t prepare ahead to buy groceries from town two hours away or harvest wild edibles in the correct season, we won’t have anything to eat. This is all about responsibility, instead of waiting for someone else to fix things.

Many of our practicum students arrive to fulfill a university requirement, but soon learn there are a lot more opportunities available than they had at first thought. Everyone has all the same opportunities available, as long as they take responsibility for making them happen. So whether they came to gain business management experience in the office or learn how to run a non-profit, everyone can still learn all the skills that are part of a wilderness lifestyle, such as mechanics, animal care, education guests and cooking for a large group of people.

For everyone who takes it, our guide school program is a huge personal development opportunity. Students learn more than horse, wilderness and leadership skills. They gain clarity on their life goals, such as if guiding is a career they want to pursue and develop confidence and competency. Through a graduated process, of first watching, then doing with support, then leading and finally mentoring others, our students develop the skills and confidence to handle challenges on their own.

Personal development is more than learning skills, several stories also discuss the mindset changes that come from gaining clarity on our interests, goals and purpose, such as rediscovering old interests and skills, or developing new mindsets, such as commitment and positivity.

Our Trails to Empowerment community is an international community which is also a growth opportunity as everyone has different skills, ideas and perspectives they can contribute. We celebrate successes as team achievements, while challenges are viewed as shared learning opportunities.

Personal development doesn’t end on leaving the ranch and several stories from past community members are shared here that show how they continued to apply the skills and mindsets they learned at the ranch to their future endeavours, whether in school, business or personal life.

Personal Development: A Six Principles Anthology Book is available in paperback and ebook on our partner, Fortress Books and Web’s website here.

Want to learn more about Personal Development with an online course? Our Personal Development online course with our training partner, the Institute for Human Potential, will introduce you to personal development and how to apply it in your life. Sign up here.

Want to experience some of these wilderness opportunities for yourself? Our partner, Wilderness Trails’ Wilderness Lifestyle Experience allows you to experience all of this and more – you’re only limited by your imagination. Find out more about the Wilderness Lifestyle Experience here.

Find more recommended books from the Trails to Empowerment community here.