By Phil Harwood

We are bombarded with information coming from various voices every day. Some of it is helpful but much of it is not, and some of it truly is fake news. It’s virtually impossible to avoid, since going off the grid is not an option for most of us. There is a particular type of fake news that I implore you to ignore.

The most destructive fake news comes from within. It’s the tiny voice in your head that is telling us that we’re not good enough, that we will fail, that we’re imposters. This voice is pure evil. It sows seeds of doubt and reminds us of our past mistakes. It seeks to destroy us, our relationships, and our futures. If it can’t take us down, it will try to debilitate us. It’s fake news. Don’t listen to it.

This evil voice tends to appear in some predictable situations. One of these situations is when we are considering doing something new, especially if it is something that will better ourselves. The evil voice tells us we’re too busy, too young, too old, that the timing isn’t right, that it’s too expensive, and on and on. It’s all fake news. Don’t listen to it.    

The truth is that there is never a bad time to invest in yourself. You are never too young or too old. There are child prodigies, as well as college graduates in their 90s. Age has nothing to do with developing yourself. Regardless of your age or life circumstances, there is something you can be doing to invest in yourself. “Now is just not a good time” is fake news. Don’t listen to it. 

The truth is that there is a way if there is the will, even when it comes to financial aspects. Have you ever heard of Canadian blogger Kyle McDonald? He bought a house with a single red paperclip (after 14 sequential trades). It’s an amazing story of willpower. The money is there. You just have to go find it. “It’s too expensive” is fake news. Don’t listen to it. 

The truth is that there will always be time if we make time. We all have the exact same amount of time each day. No more and no less. Whenever we hear the evil voice telling us we don’t have enough time for something, it’s just not true. It’s just fake news. Don’t listen to it. 

The truth is that we created GrowTheBench.com to be a resource for professional development. Over a thousand individuals have engaged with us to develop their professional skill set. If you haven’t done so yet, this is your invitation to do so. We offer a free, no-strings attached, test drive option for those who like to “try before you buy.” Here’s what you need to do:

Go to Trial.GrowTheBench.com and follow the instructions. That’s it. 

Now go forth.