During the 2008 recession, the speaker faced significant personal and financial hardships. This experience led to the realization that in order to change their external circumstances, they needed to focus on personal development. The insight from a quote by Jim Rohn emphasized that personal success is intrinsically linked to personal development. The speaker encourages the audience to assess their desired level of success and their current level of personal development. They stress the importance of daily personal development rituals to continuously improve and achieve higher levels of success in all areas of life.