Personal Development Lessons from Patch Adams

08. Mar, 2010 0 Comments

One of my favourite films is Patch Adams starring Robin Williams. If you haven’t seen it, I really recommend that you borrow or buy it as it contains so many lessons that you can use for your personal growth. And it’s not an airy fairy, pie in the sky work of fiction. It’s biographical – Hunter (Patch) Adams is a real person.

Patch Adams failed to make it through the medical board exams he needed to pass to become a doctor and it got to him. After months of suffering from depression and attempting suicide he sought help by voluntarily admitting himself to a psychiatric ward.

In hospital, he met people with a wide range of problems: catatonics, the mentally retarded, schizophrenics and so on. Eventually, Patch found ways of treating his own ailment and recognises that he has to sort his life out. Why? Because he realised that he still wanted to become a doctor, in spite of (because of?) all he had been through! He carries with him a positive attitude that fuelled his personal growth and success.

As he grew, he used his unusual methods to help the people around him to deal with their issues. Did he succeed in becoming a doctor? I wont spoil it for you if you haven’t seen the film.

So, what self-growth lessons can we learn from Patch Adams?

How can others accept you if YOU can’t accept YOU? Stop acting, thinking and feeling like a failure, because you’re not.

When you see hunks and models on TV, focus on self development, not self pity. Stop comparing yourself unfavourably. Self acceptance is not about having nice slender legs, or great abs. I know some real bitches and morons with ‘perfect’ bodies! Concentrate on inner beauty.

If someone feels down, reach out to them and give them a hand back up. Don’t pity them or pile on the sympathy, give them practical help.

The world is a classroom with the emphasis on lessons, not mistakes. Of course you will make mistakes along the way, but that’s part of the learning and are not to be dwelled on. Don’t beat yourself up over each mistake – if a toddler did that, she’d never learn to walk!

One day at a time. Plants, trees, animals all grow one day at the time. Self growth is no different; it is a one day at a time process. I use the word process for a reason; it’s not a journey, because journeys have destinations. Self growth is a continuous process.

Consistent, one day at a time, small steps in personal growth lead to inner stability, self confidence, increased self-esteem and… SUCCESS!

Little things may have big meanings for other people. You may never know just how much the pat on the back, the friendly smile, saying “hello”, meant to the other person.

Just because you are willing to go through the process of self development, it doesn’t mean that everyone else is. Be tolerant of other people’s attitudes to change, no matter how crazy you may think they are.

My definition of success may not be the same as yours and there’s no point one of us forcing our view on the other.

Finally, remember that there’s no such thing as over night success. Chris Brogan, one of the world’s leading bloggers on social media issues, took 6 years to be an “overnight success”!

But if you feel you are floundering, unsure what to do, there’s a lovely Chinese quote to fall back on – “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” It sounds like one of those trite, fortune cookie sayings, but I’ve found it to be true in my life.

We are all here to learn our lessons and it doesn’t require formal “teachers or “gurus”. Our spouses, partners, children, parents, friends, colleagues, officemates, neighbors, even strangers, may be our teachers. All you have to do is be open to receive the lesson.