Self Help Because You Rule

Self Help and Their Costly Errors

When it comes to self help, I rule. My preference for self help is typical of most people today. There isn’t really the time or finances in most cases to ever purchase so many possible costly errors just to try them out. I much prefer to choose what I want to be helped with. Besides, I’ve learnt enough to know my own direction to enhance my personal growth. I can’t stand all those false fake guru must haves. I had already blown a fortune while being led totally astray. I only have one life to enjoy.

Self Help Section in a Big Book Store

Walking into the local big book store really confuses me. It’s mostly self help. There are helpful store employees but I much prefer to be able to choose what I want easily. The problem is mainly because the store makes the rules. There are all those category ailes they want you to walk through.

Step by step I worked my way through the whole process. Then I found what I was looking for in the first place. This is at last, the self help book shelf. The second step required that I quick read the titles and book descriptions. Did any one of them fit the subject matter? Well, yes, and no.

Let me explain the yes.

The titles were all about some form of self help or another. There seems to be subjects over a wide range of topics written for people from many walks of life. Congratulations to big book stores for carrying this large a range of books. And now, the problem begins.

Let me explain the no.

They’ve obviously left it up to the authors and book editors to gain your attention. Again, someone has laid the rules about what catches my eye through book design. The descriptives were obviously if I took a closer look. And I sure did. But after an hour, I must have undergone something my son calls a brain fart. My mind was numb and confused. What on earth do I choose? I don’t want to buy and read 10 books just to find out they are worthless to me.

The Customer Rules

What about my rules marketing people? I use the self help section because I want to develop myself the way I feel and know suits me well. You see, all those books in that section were vying for my attention. The descriptives were less than honest in most cases. In fact, I did actually pick out 10 books and really read them. Only one delivered more than expected. The rest were just, well, partial truths if not regurgitated garbage. That’s a 90% dissatisfaction rate.

Good Self Help

All forms of media today carry some form of self help information. Much of it are really nonsense and detrimental. So, which ones to use? Often it is best to ask yourself in meditation of what you want to achieve before embarking on any kind of learning. Self help can be called personal growth for good reason.

The cliche “when the student is ready, the teacher appears.” This may be in the form of a person who can actually teach you what you want, one or more books, a video, a website, an audio recording, a child, the beggar, walking in nature, etc. You see, it really depends on you being ready to learn what you want to learn. You choose, you’re ready therefore you’ll find.

Now what has all this got to do with these big book stores? Just like all forms of commerce, the “customer experience” is really all about being presented what they want you to buy first. When I come into any store with millions of items, I want to be immediately directed to the right section. Even the books do require much better explanations of their topics. Just like visiting a website, I like to be able to see and choose to read or listen to what I want. When it comes to self help, I rule…with my wallet.