Self Help: motivation is the enemy

Lately, there has been some flack about Self Help gurus and the snake oil they sell. I take a little affront to this since I am in the business of helping people better their lives. Are there people out there who are less than scrupulous? Yes. The same goes for Doctors, mechanics, politicians, clergy and any other occupation you can think of; even yours!

The enemy is not self help, the enemy is most people’s lack of motivation. Sure, there are times when people are suckered into something, and that is unfortunate, but most of the failure in the world of personal development isn’t on the side of the presenter, it is on the side of the client! They are afraid or too unmotivated to put the personal into personal development.

I have also heard people complain that self help says the same thing over and over again. Well here’s a news flash. There’s not that much too it! It’s about attitude, thinking positively, know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there, and then putting it all into action. The hard part is saying it in such a way that people will actually do something about it!

If you are not motivated to change your life, if you are not motivated to do what has to be done, then I can’t help you. Nobody can. Jesus couldn’t heal people who didn’t believe they could be healed. If Jesus couldn’t do it then I can’t either! So who is at fault?

If you are looking for a self help program because something in your life is not as you would like it to be, ask yourself if you are motivated enough to work at it. If you are not, then sit back in your easy chair and wait. The time will come when you have had enough and are willing to do the work. If that time never comes, then you will never change.

All the words to describe how to change your life, self help, personal development, personal improvement, and others imply that you are the one in control. Take that control and change!