Your Self Improvement Blog

I don’t know exactly how many personal development or so-called self help books were sold in the last twelve months – but I do know that self help is the fastest growing sector in the publishing world with millions of books being sold every year. I also know that, if you tune into your evening news, open any newspaper or go browsing the web’s chat-rooms and forums, these self help books make little or no difference.

Many recent surveys conclude that we are more fearful, stressed and worried than at any other time in modern history – even a global war didn’t give rise to such abject fear as we are seeing in a millennium where we all swallowed the idea that humankind was finally moving to a new level. Indeed, the wartime spirit that galvanized nations into powerful forces during World War II, is conspicuous by its absence from a world where obsession with money – fear or losing it, wanting more, not having enough – is the order of the day – it’s a case of every man for himself. What the hell is going on – and I use the world ‘hell’ deliberately because it seems to me that the normal life is far closer to hell than heaven.

Books like ‘The Secret’ or ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’ point towards a brighter, better life if you apply your mind in the right direction. In contrast, Barbara Ehrenreich in her book, ‘Smile or Die’, claims that positive thinking has destroyed the US and ruined the world.

Having worked in the self improvement ‘business’ for over fourteen years – long before it was fashionable to admit to your friends or colleagues that you were ‘into it’ – I am firmly of the belief that people reading these books are not just fooling themselves but are a danger to everyone around them. They read a little, get high on a little ‘feel-good’ after-glow, perhaps put a little of what they’ve read into practice for a short while and then convince themselves that things are either better or, even more dangerous, about to get better – the all-too-common general excuse for doing absolutely nothing whilst ‘waiting for something to happen’.

Books don’t change your life. Action is what changes your life – real action every day – action that you have to take yourself. And I’ve seen precious little evidence of action. Sure, I see plenty of reaction – but everyone reacts, we’re experts at is and it makes things worse rather than better.

So, put down your self help books and ask yourself this probing question? What action could you take right now that would improve your lot if life? Not knowing your life, I’ve no idea whether something major needs to be done or, maybe it’s just something little. But I do know this – I am constantly questioning myself, challenging myself making certain that I keep taking the little and large actions that need to be done to push – yes, you’ve got to push yourself – my life towards more success and more happiness. And I regularly see the results.

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