Understanding is the booby prize
I remember est founder Werner Erhard saying many years ago, “Understanding is the booby prize.” That statement sort of made sense at the time, but in recent years I’ve come to fully appreciate how profound it really is. There are literally thousands of books, courses, workshops, webinars, DVDs, etc. that will tell you exactly what to do to be happy and have your life be the way you want it to be. And yet most of the people who read those books and take those courses are still not happy and fulfilled. Why? Why understanding isn’t sufficient Because merely knowing [...]
It's not your fault
If you’re reading this, you are probably interested in personal growth. And if you are interested in personal growth you’ve probably read a lot of books, taken a lot of workshops, and purchased a lot of programs. And if you are a typical buyer, you’ve probably been disappointed many times by the results. Right? And what is your response when you don’t get the desired result? It’s got to be someone’s fault: Either what I purchased is not effective or it’s my fault. Sad to say, some of the programs for sale in the personal growth market are not very [...]
Why you should be concerned about your beliefs
If you have read any of the writings of the top self-help experts during the past 10 years—such as Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, or Joe Vitale—you’ve learned that permanent change is impossible without eliminating the beliefs that are keeping you stuck. I agree; beliefs do have that power. But why? What gives our beliefs the power they have to determine our behavior and feelings? There are two reasons why beliefs have the power they have—one is obvious, the other more subtle. Our beliefs about reality ARE our reality First, a belief is a statement about people, reality, or ourselves that [...]
Do you know the difference in the many personal growth materials?
I’d like to slightly modify a story we’ve all heard before in order to enable you to get greater value from the many personal growth products and services. If you give a man a fish, he will eat fish today but not have any fish for future meals. If you teach a man to fish, he will be able to eat fish forever as long as he is willing to catch the fish. There is a third possibility that is not often talked about: If you transform the man’s diet (for instance, have him become a vegetarian) so that he [...]
What I just learned will transform my life … and yours
I’m writing this from New Mexico just before I leave my bi-annual meeting of the Transformational Leadership Council (TLC). Jack Canfield, the co-author of the Chicken Soup books, created this organization for transformational leaders (workshop leaders, authors, owners of organizations dedicated to transformation, etc.) such as John Gray, New York Times best-selling authors Marci Shimoff and Lisa Nichols, Rev. Michael Beckwith, and about 100 more. It is a place where people who have committed their lives to empowering others get supported and nourished. I am honored to have been a founding member about five years ago. The two five-day meetings [...]
