Personal Growth Through Adversity: 3 John Maxwell Quotes I’ve Lived

Part of my morning routine is getting up early and riding my bike. One morning recently, while riding my laps, I was listening to the Maxwell Leadership Podcast with Mark Cole and Matt Tresidder. The podcast topic was on shifting from managing people to leading people. As I rode, I began to think about my journey over the past five years: the people I have led, my various roles, and my journey into Maxwell Leadership, starting back in 2020.

I have come so far that I hardly recognize myself most days. That’s not because of anything within myself; it’s because a path to leadership development was laid out for me by John Maxwell. But as the miles ticked by that morning, I saw his wisdom proving true in my journey even before I knew who he was. I just didn’t have the framework yet to make it happen!

So as you read my story, take it as your sign to start – or restart – your own personal growth journey. Transformation is waiting for you just on the other side of your comfort zone!

How to Experience Personal Growth When Life is Hard

On October 3, 2018, my birthday, I lost my dream job. I went from feeling fulfilled, working with people I loved, to scared, devastated, and lost. Within weeks, I had another job. I would only be there a year, But eventually, that job would lead me to the life I love today. And these 3 John Maxwell quotes will show you how.

1. “PEOPLE CHANGE WHEN THEY HURT ENOUGH THAT THEY HAVE TO CHANGE, LEARN ENOUGH THAT THEY WANT TO CHANGE, RECEIVE ENOUGH THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO CHANGE.” 

Have you ever been at a place in your life, somewhat of a crossroads, where you know something deep in your spirit is telling you that you were made for more? I am a person of faith; to me, that voice is God. To you, it may be something different. But if you have experienced it, you know exactly what I am talking about. Throughout most of 2019, in that role after my dream job, I felt that stirring – I was stuck at the crossroads.

In that moment, we have a choice. A choice to stop, not listen, and most likely become bitter and stay complacent, or to self-evaluate, learn, grow, and become better. Without a guide, I was stuck in limbo; I hadn’t learned or received enough to make positive change, so I could only move forward with the hurt, without help to give it purpose. So initially, I made the wrong choice and was headed down the road of bitterness. 

In November 2019, I was given a role as sales manager with a local real estate office. Part of that role was to attend a management academy. Something happened during that trip. I saw that I had some strengths and some ambitions in leadership that I never knew were there. Maybe this was the stirring I felt, I was about to jump into the unknown of a new role, but I now know it was so much bigger than that, and as luck would have it, that role was short-lived – it only lasted four months. The hardest part of these stirrings or gut feelings is the unknown of what they are trying to tell you.

2. “GOOD MANAGEMENT OF BAD EXPERIENCES LEADS TO GREAT PERSONAL GROWTH.”

Then, in early 2020, COVID hit. I was laid off. Again, I was hurt, wondering what we would do – we needed my income. This was two jobs in two years. I spent a few days incredibly fearful and confused, but I woke up one Monday morning and something had switched in me. I knew in my spirit that I was being told to get up, stop worrying, and go find something to do. I knew I had two choices. As my mom preached to me for years during hard times, you can either get bitter or get better. I had to make a choice. I had to leverage the bad for something good.

That Monday, I came across a live Facebook teaching from John C. Maxwell. He spoke of his faith. He spoke of pivoting. He spoke of personal growth. I knew immediately I needed whatever he had. He did several free teachings for a few weeks during 2020, and I never missed one. I had the faith, but I had no idea how to pivot, and I certainly had never heard about growth. I found my way to his website, and filled out a form for a call with an advisor. And that was the beginning of “good management” of my “bad experiences.”

In 2020 with no income, I joined Maxwell Leadership. I jumped into everything I could get my hands on. I spent hours and hours watching videos and reading books, and I began to see some amazing personal growth within myself. I was able to better forgive myself and others. I felt a greater sense of compassion and empathy. My faith grew and my relationships changed. I became a better communicator and a motivator – a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. And I started to love myself for the first time ever. When life hit me square between the eyes and looked so uncertain, I was able to experience growth on such a level that I was beginning not to recognize myself. I was beginning to learn what happens when you bet on yourself. I was beginning to see the absolute necessity of growth.

And then, as life happens when you are on the right path, I was stopped in my tracks yet again. I lost my father and my father-in-law within days of each other in 2021. But I couldn’t let grief stop my growth. In August 2022, I attended my first Maxwell conference. On that warm August day, as I walked down the hallway, the banner read “Welcome home,” and I knew I was home. The change that had begun taking place in 2020, the amazing growth, just seemed to soar after the conference. I made some life-changing connections and my life was forever changed. That stirring in my stomach that began in 2019 was all starting to make sense. God first had to change me before he could use me to change my world. I had come to realize there was a purpose to that pain. For me, that was to spread a message of joy through life’s impossibilities. None of that would have been possible without me discovering John Maxwell on that lonely Monday in 2020.

I did get another job that same year – one that allowed me to use what I had learned growing through difficulty. I was leading mastermind groups, coaching real estate agents, and teaching an entire leadership team. But best of all, the people I led and coached were seeing growth themselves – I was impacting lives. I was fulfilled, and happy feeling like I was living my purpose for the first time in my life.

3. “SOMETIMES THE SEEDS YOU SOW TAKE A LONG TIME TO GROW. BUT YOU ALWAYS SEE A HARVEST.”

With the benefit of hindsight, I can tell you that every stop along the way was worth it.

Today, I get out of bed each day with the opportunity to impact more lives than I ever dreamed possible. I would not be with the company I am today if I had not taken the time to work on myself, to become a student, and to grow. And I wouldn’t have done that without the management academy experience I got from those four short months at the real estate office.

After things like this, you realize there is always purpose to those life events that seem so hard and we question why. You also realize that those years of working on yourself, educating yourself, growing, and getting better daily will lead you to a path where you can serve other people. You can then help lead them down the same path that changed your own life.

Knowing what I know today, I would make the same choice I did back in 2020, and I would encourage you to do the same. Invest in your growth. You won’t recognize yourself and opportunities that you never dreamed possible will come your way. I bet on myself joining with no income, but the bet paid off. The results of betting on myself cannot have a dollar amount placed on them – for myself and for those I lead.

Are you ready to start your journey toward personal growth? Your full potential is waiting for you on the other side of “yes.”

There’s a lot in life we don’t have control over – world events, economic conditions, others’ choices. But we do have control over one thing that affects how we react to everything else: ourselves. And when we grow, everything else gets better. In fact, Jon Maxwell shares that growth is the only guarantee we have that tomorrow will be better. If you are ready to grow, here’s a great place to start: our free 30-minute webinar on shifting from one-time goals to daily personal growth, and what that shift can do for your results. Sign up today to start growing and learn from John Maxwell himself!

About the author

Shauna was born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana in 1974 and still resides there today with her husband, bonus kids, and beloved grand-daughter. Shauna’s career has spanned the fields of law, insurance, and real estate. She is a regional director for Weichert Real Estate Affiliates, where she enjoys her love of coaching, speaking, teaching, and consulting. She is also a Maxwell Leadership certified coach, speaker, and trainer. Shauna has become passionate about growth, learning, and making a difference in this world. She wants to impact as many lives as possible for joy and powerful positive change. She loves coaching and motivating others on their journey. This is what drives her every single day. Shauna’s greatest desire is to help others overcome pain and the things holding them back to live a passion-filled life doing what they were put on earth to do. Shauna is the author of finding JOY in the impossible and most recently a co-author of Everyday Moments: Lessons that Transform Lives.