You may have followed self-help books, and gurus, tried different meditations or yogas, and retreats, but still feel nothing works for you. I am here to tell you that you are not alone.
Every year there is a specific period when everyone gets motivated once again for the life-changing decision and starts out but never makes it. Be it gym membership, fitness, or self-discipline. We start out with great enthusiasm and energy but fail miserably after a few attempts.
This cycle repeats every year or every season and lasts for maybe a couple of weeks or a month. Then you believe it is because of a lack of motivation and discipline and chase after a motivational speaker and start out again, yet again the same cycle.
I want you to answer a few questions. Because some answers cannot be borrowed but have to be found on your own.
Why do you want to improve or meditate?
Take a piece of paper and write down your reasons. I want you to write down the exact specific reason written and numbered.
Do you feel ashamed of the reasons you are about to write? Or are there no specific reasons you cna think of?
Therein lies your first mistake. Should you have a goal while meditating? If yes, what is the goal? To attain enlightenment? Or find a middle ground where you can be OK with this world. Is there a middle ground like 50-50, a win-win situation?
Can you be enlightened and have yourself indulged in worldly pleasures?
Are you so addicted that you don't want to reach the end point of meditation?
Does self-help and meditation work together?
Many self-help books thrive on our feeling of inadequacy. They say you are not complete. They say you have to work hard. Work 24x7 and run the race at 110 % efficiency to attain your goal. You are not good because you are not working enough. you are not good enough because you can not concentrate.
At the same time, when you go to a meditation guru, he/ she will say, let go of all worldly pleasure and be at peace. There is no competition and you are God's child. You will momentarily fall into that puddle of peace you have been lacking for so long.
When you compare these two pathways, both are entirely different and which one will you pick?
Can you try both methods? Do you think both can co-exist? Does it sound contradictory?
The business of self-help and Gurus
Self-help and meditation or yoga gurus are one of the fastest and fastest growing businesses out there. The reason is that it is well sustainable with a steady inflow of cash once it is established.
I had my encounter with self-help books by Dale Carnegie and Jack Canfield when I was just in college. It helped me a lot because it motivated me to study and the stories were very good in their books. I would recommend you read it. Not all self-help books are bad.
It is our perception of the books and the world, that has caused this obsession. Their books help me realize a lot of goals and I am thankful to them. But there is an illusionary line where you just consume self-development materials and stock them in your brain and think that you are becoming better.
It is a false belief that by reading books we are becoming better people. The downside of these books is that they only mention those who won at the end. Even though they had struggles, in the end, they all made millions and we will believe that if we suffer enough, we will win in the end.
Do self-help books get outdated?
The books that were written 100 years ago are in circulation and they contain valuable information on self-help or development. But the world is not what they were when the book was written. It has changed drastically and technology has overtaken all domains of life.
The concept of working hard or going home was changed to working smart and go home early. Rather than the amount of effort you put into the work, it is the quality of the work or product you produce that hits the mark.
So, the self-help industry has evolved into a digital version of maximum productivity. Strategies have changed drastically with the technology at our disposal. Those who are able to utilize the technology to its maximum potential within the minimum time reap the benefit in society.
New ventures into self-help and productivity
As the older books hold the key pillars of self-help, and development intact, the method in which we approach them is changing.
There are a lot of new books and talks which help us. I stumbled upon a few
Youtubers/podcasts who are simple yet, precise and straightforward with their work on productivity.
Check them out :
How to avoid burnout?
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