New and Improved

Have you been in a bookstore lately and seen the vast array of self help books? Billions of dollars are spent every year as millions of people seek to be better, new and improved in some way. Many of these books have wise and useful information and are a great resource, I have certainly read more than my fair share from this section over the past 25 years. But I have come to realize on my journey and in working with others that they are just not quite enough most of the time. There are several reasons for this: You get all kinds of great information and really excited about the changes you will make ...for a short time. There is no follow up or method to really embrace and apply what you have learned. Often people read these books and put them down, rather than study them as they would taking a class or really trying to learn new concepts. Many times there are great ideas but little application to ones individual circumstance. Overall, of course they are written to apply to most everyone so naturally they cannot apply uniquely to each individual. However, I think the largest problem is the idea the reader may have that they have a need to become different or changed in the first place to find happiness, wholeness and success.

The secret is that the key to being happier, whole and more successful is to return to being more of who you already are. We forget ourselves sometimes. All kinds of things get in our way of just being us. Being authentic, utilizing our unique strengths and talents and pursuing our own ideas and passions.

To raise our awareness, educate ourselves, develop more positive thinking and habits is a life long valuable endeavor in personal growth we all would do well to pursue through reading and any other methods.

But to find real happiness, deep lasting  joy and satisfaction one does not need to become new and improved; rather to rediscover, reconnect and fully express that which they already are.