Growth is rarely easy and personal growth is often painful to achieve.  It takes courage in order to break down the walls of prejudices or speak up when you catch yourself, a friend or co-worker saying something like “that’s so gay”.  You know it is wrong but it makes you uncomfortable and feels awkward saying something to a neighbor or even your boss.

So how do you feed your soul a diet of positive ideas that gives you the strength to knock down the barriers holding everyone back?  How do you learn to speak up for those who can’t or are afraid too? You start by reading “Speak UP!“.  Speak Up! uses real world examples  to help you respond to biased comments when you’re among family, friends and neighbors, at work or in public.

Learning to speak up is like watering your seeds of growth.  To put your personal growth into overdrive fertilize it by teaching tolerance to others. The Teaching Tolerance magazine, published twice a year, showcases innovative tolerance initiatives from across the country.  Teaching others breaks the cycle of intolerance that keeps us all from reaching our potential.  After you finish the current issue, browse the magazine archives which go back to Spring 1996 for truck loads of ideas.  These guys have been doing good work for a long time.

People of conscience are a vital part of society and we need to celebrate our person growth everyday.  Although personal growth may take hard work, remember what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.