Money? You got it. Happiness? No problem. The perfect body? Easy. Learn a language? It’s a cinch.
These are just a few of the promises you’ll find staring you right in the face should you pop into your local bookstore.
And each new author promises bigger and better things.
In my previous post, how tricks and gimmicks won’t bring us success, I talked about how such promises are very misleading and set people up for disappointment. But a client made the point that these books play a very crucial role in our society even if their promises are somewhat outlandish.
I was surprised to hear that but after listening to her for a few minutes I believe she makes a valid point.
Let me explain.
Travel the world and you’ll see not only how different we are (ie. culture) but how similar we are as well. Principles of psychology and marketing work equally well in America as they do in Japan because we are essentially the same, for the most part.
We want the same things – freedom, happiness, a decent lifestyle, fun, friendship and a whole heap of other things – because we are human.
One area which amazes is the desire to have a better body.
Nearly every woman I know is on a diet, and most men desire a better physique.
And each year both men and women the world over spend billions on programs and books that promise to help us achieve just those things.
Billy’s Bootcamp is one such program and I believe wholeheartedly if you follow it you will end up in good shape.
But I can also say that if someone were to run around the neighborhood for an hour each night every night for a few months that they would get similar results.
It’s not what you do so much, but rather WILL you do it.
I ran into my 78 year-old homestay father the other day and jokingly punched him in his stomach during our chat, he had a six-pack.
His secret – swimming for 2 hours a day, 4 times a week.
So if achieving the perfect body doesn’t require us to buy books or programs costing a few hundred dollars why do I say that we need them just the same?
Because they give us one pivotal thing – HOPE.
Too many of us believe that we can’t achieve the wealth we desire because we look around and see ourselves going nowhere and struggling just to make it through each month. We believe that there’s no way we can have rock hard abs or a slender figure when we’re out of breath after a walking up a flight of stairs. And many people believe that learning a language is simply impossible.
While gimmicks and tricks may not work for most people, they do get so many of us started.
And that’s half the battle.
We may not apply anything that the author suggests but they have set us off in a new direction. We begin to look for other ways. We go in search of answers.
For most of us the toughest part is getting started, BELIEVING that what is possible is possible for US.
I have read hundreds of books on self-development, some good, some not so good. I’m not looking for the holy grail that will magically fix everything. I’m just looking for another piece to the puzzle.
We all have our own puzzles to solve.
No one author or person has all the answers for you. But by continually searching you’ll be able to find the pieces you need for yours.
Success may take years to achieve but the decision to change your life and taking the first step towards it (buying a new book, walking around the block, saving $10) takes place in 2 minutes or less.
That’s where it all starts. That’s where the magic begins.
It won’t be all you have to do, but it is the beginning of a whole new you.
Adrian Shepherd